Ghost
by Lady Lovely Locks
Summary: AU "It will always be a gift as well as a sin; at times, you won’t even be able to identify which one. The dead beckon me, but at the same time push me away, I only wish to be normal. I only wish to have a friend." :Indirect pairing InuKag:
1. Siren of the Spirits

**Ghost**

**Chapter 1, Siren of the Spirits**

_Life has always been a beautiful melody, filled with the notions of people all over the world. It will always be a gift as well as a sin and at times, you won't even be able to identify which one. My mother has always taught me that, but she never believes me when I apply that teaching to my own experiences. I am able to see spirits of the dead mingling throughout roads and houses, even in my own backyard. They are everywhere. There are many of whom say I am crazy, that what I am seeing does not exist, but I have given up the battle between insane and sane. The dead beckon me, but at the same time push me away, I only wish to be normal. I only wish to have a friend._

_Sincerely,_

_Kagome_

The delicate white long- fingered hand gently shut the book of her latest diary entry, slowly dragging her hand on the face of the black cover, fingering the outline of gold at the edges. Quickly and gently she placed the book into her drawer and locked it with an old spare key, casually slipping it under the bed as if it had never been there.

The raven-haired girl sat at the front of the bed, her glimmering brown eyes widened slightly as an eerie glowing figured appeared beside her, seeming to be a little girl whose white dress was slightly tattered. Kagome was used to seeing her, gently standing on air itself and staring into space. The girl's eyes had no pupils and were entirely black as most spirits were, but unlike any other spirit, she held a mirror that showed no reflection of anything.

Kagome tilted her head slightly looking at the girl who was beside her. 'Am I truly that crazy' she thought as she watched the girl's shoulder length white hair float gently around her. The little girl finally locked eyes with Kagome's sad ones, her entirely black orbs asking for something that Kagome couldn't quite place.

Unexpectedly, Kagome's younger brother of about 9 years burst into the room at once with a school bag in his hands. "Onii-chan, mom says you need to get ready for bed cause school is tomorrow," Souta repeated as quickly as possible wanting more than anything for this night to end so he could go the school first thing tomorrow morning.

"Of course Souta, I was just… thinking I guess," Kagome replied in and calming tone, she always did have the most soothing aura of them all.

"Come on sis, you can't be scared of your first day as a junior can you, I mean you're 17 years old…. hehehe unless you're a chicken", Souta chuckled as he came to sit on her bed next to her, effectively going right through the eerie looking girl without even realizing it.

Kagome glanced up at the girl as she looked back at Kagome with solemn eyes and faded from view. She then glanced back down at Souta who was staring at her the whole time with a curious expression.

No one but Kagome could see these figures, but despite that fact she had told many people about them, including her family. Often times, she would tell her little brother Souta stories of the spirits she had seen and how they looked and Souta's face would faze to many emotions, most of them being scared. But her mother always told her it was rubbish and dismissed it like it was nothing but a bad joke.

Souta finally spoke up saying "Well, I guess we better hit the sack huh sis?"

Kagome smiled warmly at Souta ruffling his hair with her slender hand before answering, "Of course, good night"

Souta hopped of her bed and slipped out the door mumbling a "night" as well, while he yawned while closing her door.

Kagome tucked herself into bed wishing for this year of school to be bearable.

* * *

A/N: Please review!! You guys are what keep my writing going strong and I would really love the support. This is my original story (my first) and I'm reposting it permanently (I apologize for pulling it off my page). I love this story, so please share your comments and questions with a review!! Thanks


	2. The Average Freak

**Chapter 2, the Average Freak**

_Flashback sequence_

A vision of a small girl was seen walking hand-in-hand with her mother in a bright yellow raincoat as the rain continued to drizzle all over the street. The girl of around 4 or 5 squeezed her mother's hand laughing happily, her raven pig-tails now sopping wet hanging just behind each ear as she spotted other families strolling by.

Her mother flashed a smile back at her before stopping briefly to pick up newspapers at a booth to bring home.

While her mother was talking to the gentleman at the booth, the little girl was flashing a 100 watt smile at everyone who passed by, until she saw something that caught her eye.

In the corner of a stoop behind a garbage can was a scruffy looking puppy. The little girl's brown orbs immediately brightened as she released her mother's hand and ran over to puppy and started to chase it around.

People that pasted by looked at the girl is a curious manner, thinking maybe she had too much sugar.

Suddenly, the scruffy thing ran into the middle of the street, and the little girl, to busy having fun to notice followed it out there.

A car came rushing down the road and the little girl's mother finally noticed she was missing but could not save her daughter in time, so she screamed instead.

Suddenly the car jolted to a stop only a foot away from the little girl, as her mother rushed out and dragged her child back to side walk and hugged her for everything she was worth.

The little girl glanced back to the side over her mother's embrace, still noticing the puppy was still there, but turned her eyes back just in time to have her mother smother her with tears and kisses.

… The little girl never noticed the eerie glow coming from the puppy

… The little girl never noticed no one else could see that puppy

… Kagome never knew……….

_Flashback sequence end_

Kagome awoke with a startled gasp as she sat up in bed frantically looking around her room. 'Why am I having flashbacks as my dreams all of a sudden?' She placed a steady hand over her racing heart as she took a glance at the clock which displayed 6:03 A.M.

Letting out a strained sigh, she planted her two small feet on the ground and stood up as her thin silk nightgown slightly trailed behind her.

Kagome made her way to the bathroom just down the little hall right beside her brother's bedroom and she herd slight snoring coming through the door. "I can't wait for school sis", Kagome mimicked her brother's winy voice under her breath as she closed the bathroom door and took a look in the mirror after brushing her teeth.

A girl of about 5'5'' with raven black hair that had a bluish shimmer to it in the morning light with bright brown eyes stood before her looking back through the mirror. Kagome picked up the brush on the counter slowly ran it through her raven tresses that came down to the middle of her back while looking at her figure. 'I'm not really that skinny am I?'

"HEY SIS OPEN UP I GOT TO TALK TO MR.TOILET…NOWWWW!!" Souta literally screamed through the door.

Kagome's thoughts were cut short as she opened the door and her brother rushed in not even bothering to say thanks. "What a little pain", she murmured as the door shut and she went back to her room to get dressed.

Kagome came out in a normal uniform of a plaid skirt that consisted of beige and green square patterns and stopped about 3 inches above the knee. The top was a small beige button down vest that fit snug over her thin figure. Under the vest was a white short sleeve shirt with a tiny collar, just enough to be seen at the top and the sleeves to be seen out of the vest. To end the uniform, there was a green tie that went around under the collar, and hung right in the front of the vest. She also wore beige socks that stopped just below the knee and beige shoes to go along with it. All the girls wore the same uniform in Tokyo High, so there would not be a problem with what everyone wore.

She grabbed her shoulder backpack which was a light brown color with a worn out strap along with her black diary which had the golden edges to it, but it didn't really matter. She had been going to this school for the past two years, and she always brought these two items no matter what. This would be her third year going and she wasn't all that excited.

Kagome rapidly went down the steps and took the toast that was sitting out on the table as her mother turned around.

"Hey honey did you have a good sleep? I know that you don't eat much breakfast in the morning so I just fixed some toast and made you tea, is that ok sweetheart?", her mother asked in a friendly tone.

"Its perfect mom, I wouldn't have it any other way", Kagome stated as she nibbled on her toast and took her thermos of tea as she headed for the door.

Just then, Souta came sliding down the stair railing just barely landing and hit the door before falling over.

Kagome stifled a laugh as she helped her brother up checking that he wasn't hurt, but was still smiling one of those smiles that says "you're and idiot and a half."

Souta yelped "thanks" to his sister as he rushed to get his breakfast and headed for the door as well.

Both children yelled a "GOODBYE" to their grandfather who was still asleep and left to start the day.

Kagome and her brother were very close and always stuck together despite the fact of the big age difference between the two. Souta loved to hear the spirit stories she had to tell about people floating around and Kagome would just laugh at Souta's curiosity, but was more then welcome to tell him about them. Often times Souta would stick up for his sister anytime she was ridiculed, and Kagome had to love him for it.

As Kagome and Souta reached the bus stop, it started to drizzle and Souta was complaining about how Monday's are cursed.

Kagome suddenly broke his complains by stating to the rain more then her brother, "I love the rain".

Souta immediately stopped his ranting and looked at her like she had grown another head. But before he could say anything the bus pulled up and they both boarded.

About 10 minutes later Souta got off because his school was right around the corner, but Kagome's was a little farther so she kissed her brother goodbye.

Blushing like mad, Souta mumbled a goodbye while wiping his cheek with is hand. Kagome had to laugh at that.

Soon the bus pulled up to Kagome's stop and she got off, suddenly noticing the school's whole new look in the rain as she had noticed many times before.

It was a huge building about the size of a mansion which was where every homeroom for every type of student was located. Whether you were a freshman, sophomore, junior, or a senior you still had your homeroom in the same building. Kagome pretty much classified it as the "home base".

Behind this mansion like building was different smaller buildings, each had a specific subject pertaining to them, such as science, math, the arts, things like that.

Kagome made her way to the front of the steps and began walking up the stairs as many other students did the same, some talking to each other, some making out to the point where it looked like they were participating in sexual intercourse, and some just sitting on the wet grass.

Kagome took a glance at her schedule, making her way down to C22, apparently, her new homeroom. She past rows of lockers and plenty of other people just chatting.

'As long as nobody notices I exist, maybe I can get through this year' Kagome though as she passed tons of other girls and boys dressed in school uniforms.

"Hey, ghoooosty girrrrrrrrrrrrrl" came a taunting high pitched voice from across the hall.

Kagome halted immediately, slowly rotating her head to find the owner of the voice and came upon none other than Yura and her faithful companions Yuri and Hari. Yura had a bob cut hairstyle that curved inward towards her face which was straight and black. She had light pinkish-reddish eyes that held a nasty glare at the moment. Yuri had long lavender hair with light green eyes and Hari had deep blue hair with deep maroon reddish eyes.

Kagome turned her whole body to face them, her brown orbs showing annoyance.

"Oh don't worry ghosty girl, I'm sure the spirits won't haunt this school, but just incase maybe you should bring some garlic and a cross!" Yura cackled.

Yuri laughed like a manic on crack at that, but Hari stupidly asked, "Aren't those things used against vampires?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP HARI" Yura barked. Yuri stopped laughing and immediately sprayed some hairspray in Yura's hair to get her to calm down.

Kagome just rolled her eyes and ignored the rest of Yura's comments towards her as she started down the hall again, but this time she didn't go unnoticed. People stared and whispered as she reached her locker.

Comments like "Look at her, she is so weird" and "oh my god, I can't she believes in spirits, talk about stupid" were being thrown around all over her.

Kagome just sighed and closed her eyes, then opened her locker to start setting it up with all her books and what not. She was used to these comments at her all the time, it wasn't anything new, since the beginning of school she had been different and she knew it too.

Suddenly the warning bell rang and everyone rushed to their homeroom at once, accept for Kagome. Even though people could be real jackasses here, everyone respected the rules because the principle of the school would wind up walking down the halls expecting everyone in their respective classrooms. And trust me; you did not want to mess with the principle no matter who you were.

Kagome just didn't feel like rushing to class this time around. She gently shut her locker and tilted her head slightly up almost as though she was looking at the roof.

"Yea" she whispered, "That's just what I am, the average freak"

"I don't think that's true, but if you continue to talk to yourself I might find it believable" a new voice contributed to Kagome's statement.

She instantly snapped her head back to the source of the voice, and saw someone she hadn't seen in a while.


	3. Stranger or Teacher

**Chapter 3, Stranger or Teacher**

There, standing ever so majestically with a couple books in his left hand and his glasses fully pushed up to the bridge of his nose was Mr. Onigumo himself.

Mr. Onigumo had been Kagome's last year advanced Biology teacher and was a pretty good one at that. At the age of 35, he taught at a high school point of view, making it fun for the kids who took his class. He had slightly tussled short black hair and thin rounded glasses to accent his thin face. He was extremely tall, towering over at about 6'3, but very friendly none the less.

"Oh my god sir, I am so sorry", Kagome immediately spoke up in a dignified tone but added on the side just barely audible to anybody, "You weren't supposed to hear that".

He didn't hear the second comment as he continued to speak, "Please just called me Onigumo Kagome san, and what are you doing out here in the hallways at this time, shouldn't you been in homeroom?"

"Well….yes, but I just don't feel in the mood to leap into the spirit of school Onigumo sama, you know what I mean?"

Onigumo lightly chuckled at that and shifted his books to his right hand while fixing his glasses, "Kagome san, for the past two years that I have known you, you really never change do you? I always figured you to be one of the brightest apples in the bunch, but you never cease to amaze me"

Kagome blushed a deep shade of red at such a wonderful compliment, but quickly changed the subject "So Onigumo sama, are you still teaching advanced Biology, because I have you as my advanced Chemistry teacher as well"

Onigumo smiled down at her, "Of course, don't I always. As I always say, you can never get enough of science, it is everywhere in our lives and will continue to be."

Inwardly, Kagome groaned at that stupid old phrase, but smiled brightly on the exterior.

They both ceased their conversation when they heard a loud pair of clicking heels briskly walking down the hallway at an amazing speed.

Onigumo slowly turned around to find the source of loud noise and Kagome appeared right next to him, curious as to find what the sound was as well.

Walking at a quick pace was none other than Ms. Kaede sama herself, principle of the entire school with her heels clicking as she walked toward them with an utterly pissed-off expression.

'Oh god, Kami sama save me, please spare me', Kagome screamed in her mind as Kaede continued to near them. She knew she should have just run to homeroom when she had the chance.

"Good morning Kaede sama, you're looking awfully beautiful this cloudy morning" Onigumo piped up in a positive voice.

Kaede was an elderly woman with grey hair reaching her tail bone. She had it neatly pulled back in a pony tale, and was wearing what seemed to be a business type of suit which was a deep blue color. She had dark eyes, somewhere between dark brown and black though one eye was covered by a black patch. Her face currently displayed a look that said "don't give me that crap".

"Please, spare me Onigumo, you know as well as I do that I look like I died three times over", Kaede jeered at him and then turned her attention to Kagome. "Well young lady, what is the occasion for you to be outside of your homeroom hmmmm…" Kaede raised an eyebrow expecting an answer.

"Well you see…" Kagome started darting her eyes everywhere but Kaede, "She was just catching up with her favorite teacher" Onigumo cut in for her while wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Ms. Kaede gave them a look like "don't give me that bull shit", but instead turned and walked off, the clicking of her heels echoing down the hallway.

"Well, that was a close one aye, Ms. Higurashi" Onigumo turned his eye sight to Kagome and released her shoulder.

"Yea, a close one", Kagome murmured still a little shaken from that close encounter with the principle as Onigumo bid her a farewell and hoped to see her later in the day.

--

_With Onigumo_

Shutting the door of his classroom in the Science building quietly, Onigumo flipped the light switch almost instantly illuminating the dark room. He set down his books on top of his wooden desk, and looked at all the empty desks in the spacious classroom, soon to be filled when the time came for first period to start.

Taking advantage of the little time he had to himself, he opened his brief case and took out a small newspaper clipping and set in on the face of the desk gently.

His eyes blazed intently at the picture at the top of the article focusing on the innocent face until they clouded over in anger and rage. He slammed his fist right on top of it making the article crumple slightly.

Allowing a single tear to slip down his face and land straight on the picture in the article, he lifted his pained eyes off the clipping and he whispered into the empty room,

"Where are you... my dear, Kanna?"

--

_On top of the roof of the main school building_

A man in a dark hooded cloak sat at the edge of the roof opposite to the rising sun on the other side of the building. All that could be seen was his mouth as it quirked upward into a slight smirk

"Time is not on our side is it?" the hooded figure paused and let out and dark laugh "But no matter, he won't be able to hold on to those weak memories for much longer"

Across from the dark figure on the opposite side of the building sat a girl facing the bright sun no older than 18. She seemed to be holding a feather, twirling it back and forth between her pointer finger and thumb.

With a weary sigh she let the feather go, watching it as it blew steadily in the wind and faded from view as it drifted downward.

Looking straight into the sun, the depths of her dark pink and red eyes swirling with depression and frustration she let out a deep sigh, "What do you ask of me this time?" she asked indignity, as if talking to the sun.

The dark figure stood up abruptly and made his way towards the girl, leaning down on one knee he huskily whispered in her ear, "corruption".

She didn't shudder, she didn't feel his presence, and she couldn't even tell if he was next to her or miles away, so she continued to stare straight into the sun without blinking "yes… corruption", she spoke softly.

The dark figure faded laughing darkly into the morning sun beginning to peak out from the pasty clouds.

Suddenly the day didn't seem so bright.


	4. From Bad to Worse

**Chapter 4, From Bad to Worse**

Sixth period rolled around faster than expected in Kagome's eyes. Surprisingly, most of the juniors weren't giving the teachers a hard time, but for the seniors, well let's just say it was a whole different story.

Kagome swiftly skidded into her computer class without much as a stumble and almost jumped into a chair at the left most side up front, since the computers were stationed all over the side walls of the classroom. She mentally scolded herself for almost not making it by the bell. She hadn't really spoken to anyone as usual, but it really didn't matter because the teachers were too busy explaining all the rules and expectations in class, mostly normal matters you were to expect on the first day of school.

As she leaned down and reached over to her shoulder strap worn out bag she suddenly noticed wisps of white hair gently resting on the chair next to her. A sudden flash of the all too familiar white haired girl in her room appeared in her mind, but she quickly shook the thought. 'There is no way that the little girl would follow me to school, it has never happened before', Kagome began to panic in her own mind while displaying facial expressions of horror and fear.

"Are you disgusted by my hair or do you just have some medical condition that you can't control what you stare at", a new icy voice cut her horror in half... and turned it into embarrassment. She reared her head up with a slight pink adorning her features to stare into cold emotionless eyes of deep amber and gold. Currently, the owner of the golden orbs had a half lidded expression.

Kagome slowly make her way up from leaning over and sat up straight, though she suddenly became fascinated with her own chair. While scratching the back of her head and staring down at her chair she replied in a subtle tone, "Sorry, you just…uh reminded me of someone!", which wasn't a lie, I mean, how many other people had hair that resembled a ghost you have been seeing practically your whole life.

He stared at her a while longer, his eyes taking one sweep of her figure before looking back to the computer screen. When Kagome got herself together after her embarrassment attack she glanced over at him from the corner of her eye and what she saw, was one the farthest things from a ghost like appearance.

The guy was obviously tall, probably reaching 6'1 or 6'2, and from the looks of his long legs hidden under black uniform pants he participated in some sort of sport. He had a broad upper body which was also unseen from the black uniform shirt he wore with a beige tie to complete the outfit. Black dress shoes hugged his feet and he seemed to have the most peculiar hair. It fell perfectly white and straight, flowing like a waterfall over the back of the chair and just barely touching the floor. It would seem that if he were to stand, it would reach all the way down to his lower thighs. Kagome also noticed something interesting about his forehead; a crescent moon was perched up in the center and looked a deep blue and purple type of color. He also had the same type of color stripes going half way across his face like a tigers, two on each side.

'A demon', Kagome thought as she took her eyes off him and stared at her own screen. It really wasn't an uncommon sight here at Tokyo High. Demons inhabited this place, but humans, of course, overruled them in numbers. As far a power goes, demons mostly held it. Students here tended to be intimidated by their appearances, but none the less, demons did come here.

"You do know that you were supposed to open up the internet don't you?", the same icy voice cut through her thoughts again and she almost fell out of her chair in surprise. She slid her vision to look at him and realized that he hadn't taken his eyes off the screen of the computer and continued to stare at it with an expressionless face.

"Thank you, I just tend to zone out sometimes, you know what I mean don't you?" Kagome replied in a diminutive tone, trying to make light conversation, which was somewhat new to her. This guy just made her feel so small, "No, I don't know what you mean", he replied in a boring voice.

'Jesus, this is the last time I try to make a difference from my past social life, by talking to a demon senior'. That thought dissipated as the teacher began giving them directions on what to find on the internet and where you can go. As Kagome began searching for a good article to look for the mini homework project they received to work on, her mouth decided to work without her brain's consent and she blurted out, "What's your name?"

'Oh crap' she thought 'I should not of asked that, this guy is going to think I am a weirdo, don't get me wrong I am, but more of a weirdo than I am right now'. She sunk her head in defeat.

"Sesshomaru", Kagome raised her head to look at him fully, "My name is Sesshomaru", he replied in a monotone voice while tearing his eyes away from the screen to make eye contact with her.

Kagome straightened from her slouching position and smiled a small smile, "Kagome, pleasure to meet you".

"Feelings mutual", he answered as he returned to surfing the internet.

'Maybe this isn't so bad after all, he doesn't seem to know about the rumors', she thought as she began to filter through the internet as well with a smile still apparent on her face.

She came upon an old news website in and decided to click on it. Slowly reading down the list of articles she found one in particular that caught her eye. Since the link only displayed the headline, she read as follows, _"Albino girl is found out to have made a disappearing act"_. Before she could click on the link to read more about it, the bell decided to ring. Thinking quickly, she jotted down the website and stuck the notebook back in her bag.

Lifting herself from her own chair she shuffled out the door with the rest of the class mostly made up of seniors. Spotting the retreating figure, she yelled before she could stop herself, "See you around Sesshomaru". Sesshomaru stopped briefly before giving a slight nod of 

acknowledgement as he continued to walk rapidly in the other direction as Kagome took off for lunch.

'There is something about that girl' Sesshomaru thought as he walked along towering over most students. 'She is different in some way'.

Kagome walked slowly down the long hallway briefly stopping to unload some books.

"Ughhhhh, I don't know Sango, do you really think you can take on everything like that? I mean your first ice hockey tournament is coming up and lets just face it, you not exactly that smart," a crony high voice blurted out to her friend.

Not to seem like a snoop, Kagome turned somewhat to the side to take a look. "Look, seriously I don't need you to tell me what I'm good at doing and what I'm not so hot at", the tallest of the girls snapped at the other two. Kagome guessed this tall girl was Sango or what ever, since the, "not being smart" comment was directed towards her.

Finishing with her locker, Kagome quietly shut it and made her way down the hall, but unfortunately, she had to pass the lockers where the three girls were at to get to lunch. 'Well isn't this peaches and cream' Kagome thought glumly.

The three girls abruptly stopped arguing once their heard tiny foot steps nearing. They all turned around to face the sound and saw a raven haired girl walking down the hallway.

Kagome looked up from her shoes and now got a detailed view of what this Sango girl looked like. She was more or less around a few inches taller than Kagome and appeared built, but not so much that it was easy to notice. Her hair was one or two shades lighter than Kagome's and put up into a high ponytail combed neatly. She seemed to have a busty figure with nice curves where as Kagome's figure, which was slender and small with even curves.

Just as the Sango girl was about to say something a voice not far down the hall rang out "Oi, Sango, we've been lookin for ya". All four of them turned to the sound and Kagome could have sworn her heart stopped for a split second.

Strolling down the hallway was a handsome looking boy, similar to Sesshomaru. His white and silver hair gleaming from the lamps on the ceiling that reached down to his tail bone. He also shared glowing golden auburn eyes and seemed to have…no wait…it seemed to be… fuzzy dog ears atop his head! He seemed to be well built, but nice and thin from the looks of it and was at least a foot taller than Kagome herself.

"Ok Inuyasha, don't get your boxers in a knot I was coming eventually, 'Oh great M.V.P of the ice hockey team'", Sango chanted the last part in a mock servant voice.

While blushing a light shade of pink for staring at a guy for so long, Kagome made her way continuing down the hall walking speedily in attempt to rush past them, when she noticed he wasn't alone.

There were three boys tailing him, the first one catching her attention and looking about the same height as Mr. Golden eyes, Inuyasha, over there. This boy had short black hair that was tied in the back with a little rat tail piece of hair at the nape of his neck. He had dark blue eyes almost black when glanced at and seemed built, but thin as well. His ears were also pierced with many gold earrings, about two on each ear.

"Well, well, well, long time no see ghosty girl", spat a familiar girl's voice. Kagome slowed her steps at a gradual pace. 'Yura', she thought. All eyes turned to Kagome at this point which was what she was hoping to avoid at all costs, but Yura had to be a saint and screw it up.

Yura casually sneered at her in a disrespectful manner, "So did you chase off the spirits or are they still HAUNTING YOU", She tried to make her voice as creepy as possible on the last words while dangling her fingers in front of her face for more of a dramatic effect. A few sniggers were heard from other two boys Kagome didn't take the time to notice.

Kagome cut her eyes at Yura, attempting to burn her with the glare she was giving as she whipped her head around and starting walking again, her raven tresses almost flying behind her.

Inuyasha eyes widened at the comment that Yura had given this girl, but didn't laugh like the other two idiots behind Miroku, his golden orbs never leaving Kagome figure as she walked away, 'She believes in spirits?', he thought astonished.

But Yura wasn't intending to give up anytime soon, so she pulled the trump card, "Or is it that you miss your poor little _daddy_?" she scoffed. Her light pink and red eyes filled entirely with victory.

Kagome instantly halted at that comment, especially the last word. 'She just had to bring it up, of all the people!' Kagome eye brows furrowed.

Kagome rotated her head at a sickeningly slow pace her eyes flashing anger, pain, and sorrow all at once as she continued to stare at Yura. Smugly, Yura didn't back down from her stare and encouraged it.

It was deafeningly silent, as everyone watched the two. Inuyasha watched the display of horrible emotions flash across her face and felt something stir inside, something that hadn't stirred in a while--

"What exactly is going on out here?" A tart voice cut into everyone's thoughts as they all suddenly registered what was going on. Kagome and Yura broke the stare simultaneously. All eyes turned to the speaker.

Mr. Onigumo had a deep expression etched with annoyance and anger. "Well Sir-" Yura started in a sugar coated tone,

"I don't want to hear it Yura", Onigumo cut her off. As Yura face fell Kagome mentally applauded and gave and taunting smile her way.

"I want you all to go to your respective class right this instant", he bellowed. When Mr. Onigumo was angry, you did not go within five meters of him.

"Kagome, would you please come with me, I just want to catch up with you", Mr. Onigumo stated softly his anger almost instantly disappearing. Kagome's eyes flickered to the group that was leaving and was surprised to meet the eyes of Inuyasha's for a millisecond before looking up at Mr. Onigumo with a soft smile, "Sure Onigumo sama". The two of them started down the hallway, but Inuyasha never took his golden eyes off her. There was just something--

His thoughts were cut short by a sharp tug on his right shoulder as Miroku jabbed him to get going to lunch. With one last glance over his shoulder at the two figures disappearing down the long hallway, he turned and walked with the rest of his, "groupies".

--

_With Mr. Onigumo and Kagome_

They both made their way over to his classroom not sharing a single word; the only sound was their feet hitting the floor with each step. Onigumo decided to break the silence eating away at them.

"So, care to tell me why exactly why you were glaring white hot daggers at that bimbo Yura, I never really did like her", he said in a playful tone throwing one hand behind his head as the other adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Kagome managed to let out a light laugh but turned her head away, "I really don't want to talk about it, but…," she mumbled the rest of the sentence.

"What was that?" Onigumo asked shifting his eyes down at her with a quizzical expression.

"I said… thanks for taking me out of that tight situation", she answered softly blushing prettily on her neck. Onigumo let out a hardy laugh, "No problem, I'm sure what ever happened you could have taken care of yourself anyway", he stated while opening the door to his room for her.

"Ladies first" his smiled politely. "Please", she scoffed, "And you say I don't have to call you sir". Onigumo smiled and closed the door while strolling over to sit down at his desk.

Sitting in his swivel chair, he turned right then left as Kagome sat on top of the nearest student desk. "How is you day going so far Kagome?" Onigumo asked after a few moments of silence.

Kagome transferred her eye sight to him, "What do you think? Same old 1st day of school, though I got the privilege of running into some of the ice hockey team members as you saw, what a joy", Kagome sarcastically replied while fiddling with the strap of her backpack.

"Hmmm, well you have me 9th period, so we'll see how your day ends up from there", Onigumo said with a miniscule smile on his face. "Let me just get some papers, I'll be right back", with that Onigumo left toward the back of the room's closet which stored papers and science apparatus.

Kagome jumped off the student desk and rounded the side of his desk. Darting her eyes from the closest to the leather cushy teacher's chair that was, at the moment unoccupied, a malicious grin spread across her face as she checked once more that he wasn't out of the closet. She plopped down in the chair and made her self comfortable while swiveling around and smiling, completely forgetting her run-in with Yura and some of the ice hockey team members.

Suddenly, something caught Kagome attention and she ceased her movement. Sticking out of the brief case on Onigumo's desk was an old wrinkled grey piece of newspaper that looked very aged. But what made her nervous was the only thing sticking out that could be seen, the headline, _"Albino girl is found out to have made a disappearing act"_.

She gasped, 'This is the same headline I found on the internet', she though anxiously, 'but why in kami's name would he have it?'

Onigumo's muffled voice from the back room, "Sorry I'm taking so long, these papers are ancient, but I need them for the unit you know?"

Thinking quickly, Kagome pulled the article gently from the briefcase without ripping it, since it was so thin it slid out easily and she returned to her student desk to slip it in her own bag, not having any time to look at the picture above the headline. She gathered her things just as Onigumo returned from the closet.

"Sorry about that, these things are really heavy and-- are you leaving Kagome?" he asked, trying to peer at her through his now slightly dusty glasses.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm really busy and hungry, you know I do have to get to lunch, take care of yourself Onigumo sama", Kagome said hurriedly while rushing out the door and closing it behind her without waiting to hear his reply. She was never one to lie to teachers, feeling guilty about the fact that she wasn't in the least bit hungry for lunch at this point, but was more interested in the article.

'Well we'll just have to get to the bottom of why he has the same article I found on the internet' with that, Kagome walked steadily to the library to meet her new tutor student.

Kagome had been taken out of her 4th period class to be told she was tutoring another junior like herself who had trouble with pre calculus.

'We'll just see how this goes now won't we', she thought impatiently as she walked into the quiet library and make her way to the tutor section when her eyes came upon something that was currently at the bottom of her "things to deal with list".

Their eyes met at the same time and one thought crossed both their minds,

'Shit'.


	5. Meeting the Unexpected

**Chapter 5, Meeting the Unexpected**

'This is not happening, this is not happening, this is definitely not happening'. Kagome continuously chanted inside her head as she neared the tutoring table warily.

Sitting very uncomfortably at the stare that Kagome was producing was none other than Sango, the 3rd most valuable player to Tokyo High's ice hockey team. Her brown eyes stared back at Kagome's with a guilty sort of expression, but she didn't voice any of her fears at the moment.

"Um, hi, err…I'm Kagome… and I guess…your new tutor", Kagome said awkwardly. 'This is not going to go well; I can't believe I'm tutoring one of those…jocks!', but she quickly erased that thought. 'I'm not going to judge her, not after what I've been through'.

Sango seemed to ease her expression a bit, "Hi… umm I guess I'm your new pupil then, the name is Sango".

Kagome decided it was best to try ease up on her a little more before rushing into how bad she was a math, so she started it off lightly. "So you're here for pre calculus and well, maybe we should just start with what you know".

"Sure that sounds…cool" Sango said equally hesitant. I mean, there were many rumors going on about this girl.

"Listen I'm sorry about what Yura said to you and all..." Sango started, but Kagome immediately cut her off. "Its ok, I'm used to it by now".

Sango was surprised by her forwardness, and how she took criticism so well, but she decided that it was alright to overlook.

As Kagome started to reach into her book bag for her own pre calc book, Sango whipped her own out before Kagome could even finger hers. She fixed her stare from the book to Sango's face and saw that she was wearing a somewhat freaked out expression. It suddenly dawned on her and she smiled lightly while letting a small laugh escape her.

"What are you laughing at?" Sango asked innocently. This girl was getting weirder by the minute. 'I would have thought that she would have been pissed or something'.

"You know…" Kagome started, pausing momentarily to reach over the table and finger Sango's pre calc book, which Sango watched the movement of her hand each step of the way. Suddenly, Kagome locked eyes with Sango's and something told Sango that whatever this Kagome was about to say was dead serious.

"You shouldn't always listen to every single rumor you hear about me because sometimes, you don't even know the truth yourself".

At this point Kagome let her hand rest on the face of the book but continued to look Sango straight in the eyes. "Don't be so quick to judge someone you don't know".

Sango didn't back down from her intense gaze, but was momentarily stunned. 'She has such determination; I've never seen a stare such as this one. This girl is something totally different from the ordinary'.

"Well… I", Sango stuttered trying to be a little bit more confident than she was feeling at the moment.

Fortunately, the bell sounded off at that moment and Kagome abruptly stood up and swung her backpack over her shoulder. She started to make her way to the library exist when she stopped mid step looked over her shoulder to Sango, who had still yet to make a move from her seat.

Sango met Kagome's eyes as Kagome spoke in a much more pleasant tone with a soft smile, "Just think about what I said". With that, Kagome left the library, somehow feeling a tad bit more confident for the day to end well.

Sango on the other hand was facing a bit more of a problem. Putting her hands into the center of her lap while fingering the hem of her skirt, she wore an ashamed face. 'Maybe Kagome is right, ever since my life started to go downhill; I decided to cover myself in a mask and tried to make a whole other personality for myself'.

Sango wasn't even paying attention to the people who waved a hello to her on the way out and was vaguely aware of what direction she was going in the hallway. 'I never tried to live my life out with all my secrets exposed, I always hid it away from everyone else and tried to make a new identity, and before I knew it, I was on top of the food chain and in the ice hockey team'.

As she made another turn down the hallway she paused to put her back against a wall of lockers and looked up at the ceiling.

"_Don't be so quick to judge someone you don't know"_. Kagome's voice echoed in her mind as she intently stared at the bright lamp.

'Maybe, just maybe Kagome is like me in more ways than one, maybe I shouldn't always believe all those rumors, besides, she seemed more than normal to me'. Gaining a new motivation, Sango smiled lightly as she made her way to her next class.

--

_Fast forward to 9__th__ period, Mr. Onigumo's advanced Chemistry class_

Kagome was more than eager to get to Mr. Onigumo's class, I mean, who wouldn't want to be in a class where the teacher absolutely adores you? She quickly threw her unused books into her locker and shut it, and made her way to the science building on the far side of the school.

Finally arriving on time, Kagome opened the door with a bright smile plastered on her face, but it instantly dropped the moment she set foot inside the classroom. Sitting on top of the mostly all the lab table desks and chatting away was more than half of the whole entire ice hockey team, which consisted of mostly boys and some girls who were constantly flirting.

Kagome's head sagged in udder defeat. 'Just great, this is what I have to spend the rest of my junior year ending the day with! I mean they are supposed to be stupid, not in advanced chemistry!', sobbing mentally she sluggishly made her way inside the room only to be stopped by a certain male calling her name. She removed her eyes from the ground to see who it was.

"Kagome, KAGOME! HEY!! I didn't know you were in the same period as me. What a delightful surprise!"

'Houjo, I should have guessed', Kagome gave him a slight smile as he walked up to her. Houjo was an extremely nice boy who was somewhat crazy. He always seemed to come up with these mediocre plans to actually catch a spirit using technology. He was a big geek in that way, always coming up with these devices to see a ghost himself and be able to preserve it.

'He doesn't look to bad either', Kagome though silently as he neared her. Hojou wasn't a bad looking boy at all; he had light brown hair with cerulean eye, and had a nice build, but he was so devoted to catching ghosts that it drove any chance of him having a social life out the door.

"So, I was thinking… would you like to sit over with me and discuss my latest plan to capture a spirit?" Houjo quieted on the last part of the question. His eyes seemed to be shining with stars and she guessed that he was thinking about his latest "attempt" to capture a ghost. She gave him a weak smile and answered, "Sure Houjo, it's not like we have much of a choice do we?"

And she was right; everyone else was paired off in their own little groups so they both took a seat at the lab table across from all the ice hockey team members.

"GOOOOD AFTERNOON MY STAR PUPILS", Mr.Onigumo's voice boomed from the front where he was standing in front of his desk. Everyone immediately shut up and zipped the lip, waiting for him to continue. "Since today is your first day in advanced chemistry and you all expect me to go over those boring class rules, I just decided, what the heck, let's just skip them for today and do something adequately fun!"

Various clapping, yelling, and whoops were heard around the class room until Mr. Onigumo raised a hand to silence them all. "Now today, we're going to be making rainbow in a bottle! But don't tell the other teachers I'm doing this because I really just wanted to end the day easy for all you", at the last words of that statement he slid his eyes over to Kagome who gave a brilliant smile in return.

The minute Mr. Onigumo directed his gaze elsewhere Kagome smile fell slightly. Mr. Onigumo seemed to look much paler than she had recalled when she saw him this morning. 'Which reminds me, the second I get home I have to read that article and see exactly what's going on".

Onigumo continued to explain the instructions for today's planning as he clearly stated, "Now to do this, you're going to have to get used to pairing up with the opposite sex and I don't want to hear any moaning and groaning out of you bunch, so pair up and I will set the stations of two pairs to each lab table, making it four people to a table, 2 girls, and two guys."

Kagome was not at all happy about this arrangement and cursed her bad luck. 'Why must this happen to me?' Even though she chose to pair up with Houjo which wasn't bad, the pair on the opposite side was. It consisted of that handsome silver haired boy she had seen this morning, what was the name? Oh yes, Inuyasha, and Sango as his partner. 'Just great' Kagome thought as she saw Inuyasha peering at her intently. She diverted her attention to the table top, not daring to look at him in any way shape or form.

Instead, she let her gaze travel to Sango which didn't seem like the best idea at this moment. She seemed to be glowering at something or more particularly someone. Kagome swiveled her heard around in the direction Sango was staring and immediately regretted it.

The black haired boy with the pierced ears seemed to be sucking the face of the luscious curvy girl next to him, not even bothering to breathe because he was turning slightly reddish purple from the lack of oxygen.

"Miroku…" Sango ground out through clenched teeth watching the perverted boy grope the unknown girl everywhere his hands could reach.

'So his name is Miroku then', Kagome thought as she made a disgusted face and turned back to her lab station and used a rubber band to tie her hair back into a ponytail going down her back.

"Hey, what are you making that face for, never made out with anyone before?" Inuyasha bit out at Kagome and smirked in satisfaction as she glared butcher knives at him.

"So what if I have never made out with anyone before", Kagome hissed at him as she purposefully turned away from him and back to helping Houjo with the ingredients. 'He is just like all the others, a stuck up popular guy, he doesn't even know what it's like to go through the torture I do'.

Inuyasha watched as the girl in front of him totally ignored his presence and went back to helping that Houjo kid. 'What is her deal? It's like she doesn't even want to talk to anyone'. Obviously Inuyasha wouldn't stand for that. "So what is this about your father that Yura was saying?"

Kagome almost snapped the glass thermometer in half when hearing this. Her control and ability to remain calm slipped and she blurted out, "Listen you…" Kagome started looking him dead in the eye, her orbs blazing with loathing. "Don't you **ever** bring up my father into a conversation again, YOU FILTHY MONGREL!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened his mouth slightly agape from that comment. 'No one has ever said that to me'.

Kagome instantly slapped a hand over her mouth and realized what she had done. 'How could I? I've never let myself lose control like that'.

The insult didn't only reach him and Kagome, judging by how the rest of the class turned around to see what was going on and Miroku stopped making out to face them, the comment was heard to more than two pairs of ears alone.

"OOOoooo the vixen actually has a mouth on her", one of the team mates cooed from the back, but not in a soothing manner.

"So I'm a _filthy mongrel _am I?" Inuyasha ground out. Kagome studied his face carefully, the hand still placed over her mouth as she looked rather ashamed of herself. A flash of pain seemed to cross his eyes, but didn't reach his other features.

'Oh god, I shouldn't have, I can't believe I…' Kagome paled a couple shades whiter.

"Well you're nothing but a damn wench!" At this point, Inuyasha rose out of his chair and accidentally tipped over a green substance into his and Sango's bottle making it turn into a bizarre looking color.

Houjo seemed to be cowering in fear of the fury waves penetrating off of Inuyasha and Sango was watching the bottle as it began to turn a funky shade to purple, 'That can't be all that good', Sango thought as she studied the bottle while glancing over to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I didn't mean, I really just, It wasn't supposed…I mean I'm…" Kagome stuttered softly and incoherently feeling tears prick her eyes. 'I wasn't supposed to blow up, I never let my emotions get the best of me, and now…'

"What is going on here?" Onigumo hollered at both of them while Inuyasha sat down and they both looked up at him, but Kagome felt like such a fool. Never ever, had she let someone get under her skin like that, and so easily on top of that?

Onigumo slowly brought his voice down and kept his eyes on his two students. "Now I have seen enough shouting for one day, and since it is the first day of school, I'll let you both off with a warning, next time you will not be so lucky".

Both Kagome and Inuyasha seemed to scoot back a little at the look he was sending them, but it soon change into one of delight.

"Ah, congratulations Kagome and Houjo, it seems you successfully created the rainbow in a bottle", Mr. Onigumo smiled in delight and peered over her. Kagome gave a quizzical expression, but also turned around and he was right, the bottle was dispersing rainbow effect types of colors. Kagome watched the colors in a sort of awe. As Onigumo lifted the bottle off the table to show the rest of the class she turned to Houjo.

"I'm so sorry Houjo I really didn't mean to not help you out, I guess I got carried away", Kagome told him quietly while giving him one of her truest smiles, "Can you forgive me?"

"Uh… it… it's…. no pro… problem Kag… Kagome", Houjo stammered blushing bright red all over his face and fidgeting with the strap of his goggles that he had already taken off.

Sango found this somewhat cute in a weird sort of way and was smiling, but soon frowned as Miroku had gone back to his previous make out session. Inuyasha just growled under his breath at the idiotic boy and looked away, 'If I watch anymore of this I'm going to puke'.

"Now let's see how you did Inuyasha and Sango", Onigumo stated as he had already finished explaining how Kagome and Houjo (or really Houjo) got their rainbow in a bottle.

"Umm… Onigumo sama I don't think you should", Sango started but was cut off.

"Nonsense Sango, this was a good first attempt, though I have never such a strange color before…"

Before Mr. Onigumo could ponder this any further the glass of the off-purple liquid exploded all over him leaving the all the guys swearing viciously and all the girls screaming.

Onigumo cleared the gunk from his glasses as the whole class gasped; he looked like an ooze monster or something!

"I really don't get paid enough for this job". Onigumo sighed as the bell rung, leaving everyone scrambling to clean up and gather their things to leave.

On the way out everyone sent apologetic looks to Onigumo accept for the team members, who were just cracking up, but surprisingly Sango stayed behind with Kagome, though Kagome was sending curious looks at her she seemed to be completely un phased.

"Onigumo sama, are you alright?" Kagome asked softly while he was busy wiping away the gunk from his shirt and pants.

"Yea I wanted to see if you were ok too", Sango said as well.

"Oh girls, I'm fine no need to worry, now go before you miss your bus, I really don't want you both running late", Onigumo gave them a soft smile. Somehow, it touched him how they cared so much.

Both girls tottered out of the room and broke out into a sprint to get to their bus. Kagome seemed to give up on sprinting and decided that the bus probably already left so she could just walk home. After all, she only lived 20 minutes away from school.

Unexpectedly, the memory of that Inuyasha flooded her mind and she went back to being depressed. 'I'll have to apologize, I know I shouldn't have said that, and he looked almost…hurt'.

'I have it bad enough with everyone making fun of me for my gift of seeing the dead, but to take it out on someone else, even if he did call me a "wench", no one deserves to be called what I just called him, but he probably wouldn't even care if I did say sorry…'

A light tap on the shoulder brought her out of her thoughts to look at none other than Sango.

"Hey, I just thought, maybe you… I mean we… could walk together since… you know I'm going the same way and all… and since I missed the bus too", Sango said with minor stuttering.

Kagome didn't bother to look up at her, but she answered none the less, "That's fine with me".

"Thanks, and I just want to say that I thought about what you said", Sango turned her eyes to the trees looming above her finding it easier to get the words out to them than to Kagome. Kagome fixed her eyes on Sango, as though she was trying to find out if she was serious.

"I will not be quick to judge anybody, and that includes you too". Sango laid the words out nice and slowly and locked eyes with Kagome as well.

The wind blew steadily around them as a few sakura petals flew around and landed on the asphalt.

Kagome smiled as she tore her eyes away from Sango's and looked up at the sky above, "Ok then".

Sango and Kagome met each other's eyes once again. 'She is not as bad as I thought', they both contemplated at the same time.

Suddenly a transparent figure appeared next to Sango as Kagome eyes widened, for she recognized it to be a spirit on the spot. It seemed to be a boy a little older than Souta, maybe around 12 or 13. He had ragged shorts and plaid top with a short ponytail up on his head. His eyes were also entirely black, but he seemed…no… it couldn't be… burned? His skin was burned in several places, and his clothes also looked similar. He also wore an expressionless mask, but he never took his gaze off of Sango.

"Is something wrong Kagome? You look kind of…out of it", Kagome ripped her gaze from him to answer Sango quickly, "Oh no, nothing is wrong, no nothing at all… just spacing out", but when Kagome diverted her sight back to boy he was gone.

'Weird, I haven't seen a spirit who looked quite like that', Kagome thought as she paced side by side with Sango.

Sango just shrugged her shoulders and clasped her hands behind her back, but she couldn't shrug off the weird feeling that she had while Kagome was spacing out, almost as if, someone was watching her.

--

_With Onigumo_

Onigumo packed up his briefcase after he had finished cleaning up as much of the gunk as he could off of himself, though he had yet to notice the article was missing. Suddenly the lights went out leaving the rooms pitch black.

Onigumo calmly set down his brief case as he groped for the light switch when a sudden gust of wind passed him and the shades were pulled slightly up leaving the room in a dusky sort of light.

"So I see we meet again Onigumo sama", a girl from the door walked in, her dark pink and red eyes focusing on him as she twirled a single feather in-between her fingers, but she looked slightly dull in the little light that was in the room.

Onigumo face instantly hardening at the sight of this girl, he still could not believe that his beautiful Kanna could be related to this girl, murderous thing she had become. "I see, what do you ask of me, Kagura? Don't you have a bus to catch after school?"

"Don't give me that hardened glare you prick of a teacher", Kagura taunted as she sat on one of the student's empty desk and gazed upon the feather she had in her hand. "I don't have any bus to catch either; I only wished to take a visit to dear old friend, it that so much to ask?" Kagura said that last part with a coated sugary tone.

"We both know that's not why you're here", he hissed in a putrid anger.

"Alright you old coot, you wish to see my ever so lonely sister, do you not?" Kagura asked as she turned dead serious orbs to lock with his own. That comment alone shut him up and his eyes glazed and he nodded almost obediently.

She let out a bitter laugh at his idiocy and her cold look fixed him on the spot. "Well face the music professor, she… is… dead, she died 17 years ago and you know it as well as I do".

But he stopped listening, everything around him was blurred after he heard those three words, _"she…is…dead"_. He never gave up; even after _17 years_ he never gave into the possibility that she might be dead, but to hear it from Kanna's own flesh and blood…

Onigumo fell to the floor clutching the briefcase as he felt his mind and body splitting, every hope and desire in his body leaving him, he felt like an empty shell, and that is just what he would become.

Kagura could not bear to look at the pitiful man as she got up to leave, but a hoarse voice filled with broken hearted pain stopped her.

"Please Kagura, I beg of you, is there, is there any way I can see her…one last time? I would give it all up, everything just to see her, please…please?"

Kagura winced at such a feeble plea from the ever so desperate man behind her, but she once again knocked down her walls of emotion building inside her and turned back to him securing him with a cold stare. "There is, one thing you can do Mr. Onigumo", Kagura said while fingering her feather.

"Anything!" Onigumo almost shouted but it came out as a raspy yelp.

"Give in… to your deepest fear", with that Kagura swiftly shut the door on her way out and the blinds were shut leaving the room in complete darkness.

Once Kagura was far enough she let herself sink to her feet, the feather that she had been twirling now grasped firmly in her sweaty palm.

'Why must I continue to walk this path?' she thought as tears blurred her vision, but she would not let them fall. 'I cannot cry for my sister or me any longer, I must do what he wishes, or I'll end up in the grave as my sister did'.

Just then a pair of dress shoes came into view as Kagura raised her head to meet eyes of molten gold.

"You shouldn't be seen like this on the floor Kagura, I would have thought you would be better than that", Sesshomaru's deep voice rang in her ears as she stood up at once. She had nothing to say in return, her pride was already hurt as she was seen in the most embarrassing position by her most enticing and beautiful enemy.

Sesshomaru slowly reached into his back pocket and took out a silk cream handkerchief and place it into her surprised hand while closing her fingers over it. Kagura fought the blush that was working its way up her face as her eyes secured with his own.

"I wouldn't want to see you in such a frail state again". Even though the words came out icy, his eyes displayed a flicker of warmth as he suddenly let go of her hand and continued down the hall all the while Kagura's eyes never leaving his figure as she let a small smile cross her features through her blurry eyes, "You can count on it".

--

_With Kagome_

'Wow, I never realized that the walk home was so long without taking the bus', Kagome thought as she took off her shoes at the door and slipped into her slippers.

After having made light conversation with Sango, she seemed to be having multiple thoughts. 'Sango almost seems insecure or something, almost as if she is hiding a secret, maybe something to do with that boy I saw near her, could he have something to do with her past?'

Kagome stopped in the kitchen to get a light snack and talked with Souta, her mom, and her grandpa, sharing the little adventures of her first day at school without much detail.

After that Kagome plopped down on her bed upstairs in her room as her obese cat Buyo walked into the room at a turtle's pace and jumped onto her bed only to plop right onto her stomach.

"Oh, Buyo, you're such a fatty catty, yes you are, yes you are", Kagome cooed to him while running her hands over his stomach and scratching it lightly.

Kagome eyes suddenly bulged as she remembered her task at hand, sitting up so fast that she almost flung Buyo off her she reached over to her bag and pulled out the scrap of paper that Mr. Onigumo had in his briefcase. Hastily unfolding it and looking at the whole thing her heart stopped. In fact, everything seemed to freeze in time. Though she did not read a single word accept for the headline, Kagome had frozen over because of the picture at the top of the article.

The same face, the same face that she had been so used to seeing almost all her life was staring back at her. The photo of a small girl who had white hair a little past her shoulders and wide eyes was giving a small smile back at her. In little black writing at the bottom of the photo was the name _"Kanna"_.

The same eerie glow that she was so used to appeared beside her at that exact moment. Kagome turned to fix her gaze upon the same girl who at one time was able to give a small smile like this one in the picture.

"So your name… your name is Kanna?" Kagome spoke delicately to her as though she were talking to a baby. She nodded her head only once and fixed her gaze upon the article that Kagome was currently holding.

As Kagome followed Kanna's gaze, she got the impression that she was to continue reading.

It all made sense now as Kagome began reading. Kanna had disappeared 17 years ago, and that was somewhere around the time that Kagome had started to see her.

'That must have meant that Kanna died'. As Kagome read further in she also found out that Kanna disappeared around the Tokyo bay area. 'Hmmm…maybe she drowned, but no… that cannot be, they would have found her body'.

The article also stated, _"Her foster father who desired to remain anonymous has steadily put up a search for his adopted daughter and is offering a great deal of money for her return (see page 59 for the add)"_

'Her foster father… who could that be?' Kagome thought as she took a swig of water, but something caught her eye.

Kagome turned her attention to Kanna who was now sitting in thin air, but looked as though she was in an invisible chair, but Kanna mouth was open, she was trying to do something. Kagome's eyes brightened without delay, 'She is trying to talk!'

Kagome had met spirits who could very well talk depending on what death they had experienced. For some it was easier to get words or phrases out, and for others it was difficult.

As for Kanna, she was a rare one who never made an attempt to talk; she never showed the slightest interest in communication and the only time she would show it, it would end up being a false alarm.

"Yes Kanna, can you tell me who this foster father of yours is?" Kagome spoke gently; there was no need to rush her.

But Kanna simply left her mouth open, no sound was being produced. Instead Kagome heard a rustling coming from somewhere, turning her head to the source of the sound, it seemed as though… her backpack was glowing!

Very gradually, Kagome leaned over to her bag on the floor and gently undid the ties, inside her bag her she dug for the source of the light and came upon her own, DIARY!

Kagome was shocked if not scared. 'It cannot be possible, why in blazes is my diary glowing? What is going on?' Kagome thought as she turned her attention back to Kanna for any sign of help, but she sat completely still only looking at the diary.

Kagome gently took hold of the book in both her hands, but it made the diary only glow brighter as Kagome suddenly dropped it. The book opened on its own and flipped its own pages, until it came to an empty section where all the lines were blank.

Kagome had her back against the side of her bed and looked at the book in alarm, turning her head to look at Kanna, but she only nodded her head at Kagome and went back to staring at the book.

Little by little, Kagome inched her way over to the book to stare at the pages. It was considerably bright but she cupped a hand over her eyes. As she watched, black Japanese characters started to write themselves on the lines in a black ink as Kagome read the sentence aloud, but in a hushed whisper, _"…help my foster father, Onigumo reach his destination"_.

Kagome gasped, 'The beginning of the sentence was cut off, but still, her foster father, Onigumo sama!' Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, Kagome slammed her diary shut and stuffed it into her drawer locking it at an amazing speed.

The door was gently pried open as Ms. Higurashi stepped in and looked at Kagome who was still sitting on the floor looking flushed. "Hi honey, I just wanted to tell you to come down for dinner," her mother said while looking around the clean room and then back at her.

Kagome glanced over at Kanna who had now stood in mid air and was looking down, her mirror still grasped firmly in her two hands.

"Of course mom, I'll be right down". Kagome stood up and dusted her skirt off, trying to look not at all phased by what had just happened not even two minutes ago. Kagome's mother stared at her a while longer before she left down the stairs once again as Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Kagome turned her attention back to Kanna, but it seemed as though she had already faded. Sighing, Kagome threw once last glance at the drawer in which the diary was being held in.

'This is really starting to get fanatical', Kagome thought as she made her way down the steps and to the kitchen.


	6. You're Never Alone

**Chapter 6, You're Never Alone**

Two weeks

Two godforsaken weeks…and nothing seemed to be happening.

Kagome sat at her desk tapping her pen on the already-finished essay she had been assigned a couple of days ago. She stuck the tip of her pen into her mouth while thinking. 'The diary hasn't been reacting nor doing anything for that matter'. It just went back to being a regular…diary.

She backed her chair away from her desk and unlocked the drawn that held the now mysterious book. Flipping through the pages, the only thing she saw was her first entry that she had written; all the other pages remained empty and untouched. When she thought about it, Kanna had not appeared since that incident either.

Things had been getting even wilder at school. Mr. Onigumo had been absent quite frequently and whenever he returned he looked more pale and sickly than the day before.

And Sango, she was border line. Not a friend, but not an enemy either. She seemed to be coming along in math, with some sturdy coaxing of course. Something was out of place with that girl though, she seemed to hide herself, or maybe it was the fact that the spirit boy had been following her almost everywhere.

Kagome was very interested in that boy, she figured he must have had some sort of connection to Sango, but Kagome never got the chance to talk to him because Sango was always there. 'Well, no use dwelling over something like that'.

Kagome got up and took out her chemistry book before sitting back on the bed. On the inside cover, the names of her lab table partners were etched on the side and to the right. Kagome dragged her finger down the four names including her own when she stopped at Inuyasha's name.

Inuyasha…… that guy was pure mystery to her. After putting down the chemistry book, she fell back onto her bed while stretching her arms out like a bird's wings.

Ever since the whole occurrence in chemistry class, she had kept herself, totally trapped within, her face devoid of all emotion while he was around. Kagome never had the courage to say those two little words of forgiveness, mainly because she had never hurt someone the way she did then, it was always the other way around.

But he was just so, different. Somehow, she always caught him staring at her at the most convenient times, maybe while doing a lab or taking notes. He always seemed to have a blank expression, but his eyes were always boring holes into her whenever he looked her way.

She avoided him at all costs, whether it was huddling over her own work, or pretending that she lost her pencil and asked Houjo for one six or seven times repeatedly during class.

Somehow, he always seemed to have a constant supply…odd.

Kagome turned on her side and let her eyes slip closed while welcoming the darkness. She hadn't been eating much at all for about a week because of her inner turmoil with her emotions and managed to sneak it past her mother. It wasn't at all that she was she thought she was fat, but she didn't feel the need for food for a while now.

'No one understands the things I go through, I can never have the true friends I want, I can only dream of being………_normal_'

--

_With Inuyasha_

Another car zoomed down the wet road and skidded around the corner making a screeching sound. Inuyasha's eyes never left the car and he cringed when it made such a vulgar noise.

He was actually in a park sitting on the top of a very old monkey bar dome made entirely of metal. He usually came hear for some peace because the playground was deserted, but this time Miroku tagged along with him and was currently sitting next to him trying to get his butt comfortable by fitting it through the one of the many holes that the dome had.

"Hey man, are you even listening to me?" Once Miroku's ass fit through he waved a hand in front of his best friend's face. Seeing him totally zoning out for the past couple days was getting somewhat obnoxious. Miroku sighed and lifted his hand off of his friend's face and raised it up to yank one of his furry white triangles…hard. 

"OUCH!! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT YOU MORAN?" Inuyasha shouted as he swatted Miroku's hand away and began massaging his ear in attempt to sooth the soar spot.

"I said…" Miroku began while rubbing his hand with the undamaged one, "Are you coming to the hockey meet next Sunday or not?"

"Of course I am stupid; I'm the only fucking one who can win it for the whole team while running Kouga over". Inuyasha grinned like a mad-man at the image of him splitting Kouga's head in half with his ice-skates and the entire crowd cheering him on.

"Inuyasha you really need to be a bit more understanding, I mean Kouga is extremely good and he is on our _own_ team". Miroku adjusted himself, feeling that these metal bars were quite painful on his rump.

Inuyasha put one leg through one of the holes of the metal bars and rested a hand on his knee while his head rested on the other. It had occurred to him that balancing school, teammates, and a varsity sport was not easy and he was getting hit full force with the work.

"And," Miroku added as he shifted his eyes to Inuyasha's sturdy composure.

"And?" Inuyasha asked while meeting his gaze and lifted his head off of his other knee.

Miroku's face suddenly turned into a lecherous grin, "Don't think that I'm blind Inuyasha, I see you have been eyeing that… oh what is her name again? Ah yes, Kagome girl quite frequently during chem. class when you don't think she is looking".

Miroku smiled in triumph.

Only to have a fist slammed into his face at an incredibly fast rate.

Inuyasha's chest heaved with each breath he took and he looked red and quite flushed. "THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON YOU BASTARD, AND I DO NOT **EYE** HER ALL THE TIME!"

After placing a hand to rub his cheek in a soothing manner, Miroku still managed to keep a grin. "Relax Inuyasha, the key words there are _all the time_."

Suddenly Miroku had a grave composure. "But seriously Inuyasha, I don't see why you look at her, I mean she is quite beautiful, but she is relatively creepy, I mean she doesn't really talk, it's just weird and I don't…"

Before Miroku could finish, Inuyasha jumped clear off the monkey bars and landing gracefully with a light crackling on woodchips under his feet.

"It's nice to know you think that way Miroku…" Inuyasha didn't turn around to face Miroku and kept his eyes shielded by his shaggy silver bangs. His voice was tensely calm as he said the next part. "I guess her and I are not so different huh Miroku? But I wouldn't expect you to understand that".

Inuyasha slowly turned his head and stared at Miroku, his golden orbs freezing Miroku over with lack of speech. "I guess you don't seem to like hanging around with…freaks".

"Inuyasha! That's not what I meant to say, I mean…" But Inuyasha had already begun to walk away.

'Damn, I really shouldn't have said that. If anybody knows about being different, it's Inuyasha for sure. Man, I'm in deep shit.

Speaking of deep shit…'

"Wait Inuyasha, you can't just leave me here! My butt! It's still stuck remember!"

"Inuyasha?"

--

_Midnight at Onigumo's apartment_

Onigumo finally finished grading his papers with some effort as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow. It was becoming more and more of a stress to go to bed late and get up early the next morning. Other than that, he felt himself slipping ever since Kagura's words.

He almost felt as though he just wanted to…………….let go.

Shaking that thought he stacked the papers on his desk and got up to sit on his frayed mattress. Reaching over to the picture on his nightstand, he grasped the frame firmly and placed it in his lap, absently sliding his fingers over the glass protector.

Within the photograph were a girl and a young man, presumably, himself. He had a young girl on his shoulders and he was smiling, a true smile. Even the little girl with the bleach hair had a small smile decorating her face and she was wearing a white sundress with a cream colored flower tucked securely behind her ear.

A sad smile crossed Onigumo's features as he got into bed, hugging the picture frame with the precious photo to his stomach. Not even bothering to blow out the scented candle on his desk, he closed his eyes feeling the need to surrender to everything.

'I want……I want to be with her…I don't want to live this life anymore……If you're not with me Kanna……I just don't care anymore… I'm done………..finished'.

Dark fog clouded his mind as the tight grip he had on the picture slackened with just enough room for the frame to slip from his grasp.

The second the frame touched the floor the glass shattered into tiny shards all over the now crinkled picture.

In the next instant the only light source protruding from the candle was extinguished as the flicker from the fire was burned out and the room went black, the only source of luminosity coming from the moonlight.

At that moment the dark hooded figure phased into the tiny apartment room. He stealthily walked over to the bed, his footsteps never making a tapping against the floor or a crunching from glass shards of the broken frame as he stood at the foot of Onigumo's bed.

"You are ready". The figure reached up with both his hands and grasped the hood covering his face from view and slowly backed it up off his head to the back of the neck.

His now fully exposed face looked down upon the pathetic human with his glowing red eyes, white irises, and blue paint on each of his two eyelids. He looked upon the face that looked 

somewhat like his own with a disgusted visage. He slowly placed his own long fingered bony hand over Onigumo's heart as it slowly started to sink into his chest.

"You finally gave into the fear Onigumo, you pitiful excuse for a human being, it was truly disgusting to see you suffer, I will make much better use of you". His hand continued to sink further into Onigumo's chest.

"Surrender"

A male scream pierced the night only audible to those who were not of this earth.

--

_With Kagome_

Kagome woke the next morning feeling extremely drained considering she had skipped most of every meal for a while. She quickly dressed and got out of the house before her mother could shove some toast down her throat.

Souta had decided to walk with his friends that day, but Kagome didn't mind. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the black book and continued to scrutinize the strange behavior that this diary had.

She boarded the bus, hazily aware of where she was going and plopped into an empty two-seater and continued to stare at it, wishing it would give some hint as to what this was about.

"Is this seat taken?" Kagome looked up to meet the face of Inuyasha, the bittersweet mystery-man.

Without hesitation she thrust the book back in her bag and hugged it to herself as she looked out the window where it was now steadily raining. "No, it's not taken," she voiced quietly.

Inuyasha wondered for a moment what that book was, but didn't dwell on it as he sat down next to her and put his backpack in between his two feet. He also didn't fail to notice that she refused to make eye contact with him at all.

Deep down, this girl fascinated him for some reason. She was always secluded and kept to herself. He realized at one point in time in his life, he was just like her.

"Why is it that you can't look me straight in the eye? I'm not going to kill you so stop acting like it". Kagome's eyes widened while staring out the window as she turned back to look at him.

'Ok, this is it Kagome, just tell him you're sorry and get it over with'.

"I…I just…well I…", but she couldn't form the words properly, her brain wasn't sending the signals to her mouth.

The bus jerked to a stop and one of Inuyasha's friends called him from right outside the bus. It was pouring rain by now, but Kagome didn't mind, maybe it would take her mind off this shameful encounter with Inuyasha.

Kagome went to stand up and moved sideways out of the seat only to bump into Inuyasha's sturdy chest.

'I thought he left already', she turned slightly pink and moved back at once. Kagome looked up at him and was about to open her mouth, but Inuyasha steadily cut her off.

"It's ok". He started to fumble through his bag and he fished out a red umbrella and gave it to her. "You'll need this, it's pretty nasty outside".

"But what about…" Kagome began to protest.

"Don't worry about returning it to me", he called over his shoulder, "I'll just pick it up tomorrow, same place same time, you don't want to catch a cold, do you?" With that, Inuyasha was off the bus.

Kagome slowly got off the bus and gripped the umbrella in her two hands. 'Did he just do what I think he did?'

'Yes', she concluded as she started walking with the umbrella already out and covering her. Her faced was graced with a tiny smile as she continued to walk with the umbrella shielding her as she firmly grasped it with one hand on top of the other.

'Inuyasha is indeed a mystery'.

While a bunch of his friends sat on a long ledge at the front of the school, Inuyasha didn't pay the slightest attention to all of the dirty jokes they were throwing around about hot girls at school, courtesy of Miroku. He continued to trail his gaze on the bright red umbrella through the pouring rain, and more importantly, the beautiful girl under it.

'She really is a mystery'.

--

_9__th__ Period, Onigumo sama's Chemistry class_

"Attention class", an old snooty looking woman stood at the front of the class by the chalk board. "Mr. Onigumo is absent due to sickness once again so I will be teaching… _once again_".

Various groans were heard around the room as the woman droned on about chemical compounds and what reacts and whatnot.

"I really am worried for Mr. Onigumo Kagome, I mean he has been missing for a while because of illness," Houjo whispered to Kagome while searching for his notebook.

Kagome only nodded and turned back to her own notes not really paying attention to what the lady was saying. 'I hope Onigumo sama is alright, I haven't even gotten the chance to talk to him lately'.

All throughout class Kagome thought about his strange illnesses and what exactly was going on, not even paying attention to the homework assignment being written on the chalk board up front.

--

_With Inuyasha and Miroku_

"God I wish Chemistry had never ended man! If the bell hadn't rung I would have totally had sex with Shima right on the table top! I've never seen a denser teacher in my life!" Miroku exclaimed punching his fist into his palm while displaying a lecherous toothy grin.

"Though, I do suppose Sango was looking at me rather, gravely today, don't you think?" Miroku shuddered at the image of Sango's deadly face as she was shooting blades with her eyes at him.

"Who the fuck is Shima? One of your various make out buddies I'm guessing". Inuyasha slammed his locker shut while exiting the science building with Miroku tailing him.

"Now Inuyasha, I wouldn't call her that, I'll have you know that I am very aware of whom she is". Miroku now had his pointer finger up in the air, in attempt to defend himself.

"Oh yea? Then what's her last name, 'Oh holy one'?" Inuyasha smirked knowing that Miroku stood no chance.

"Umm…Well can I get back to you on that?" Inuyasha just laughed while shaking his head as he walked off the school grounds with Miroku.

"You never change houshi…never".

--

_With Kagome_

Cars were rushing all over the street as water splashed the sides of the sidewalks from the tires. Kagome steadily walked through the pouring rain, the umbrella protecting her from the tiny droplets of water, while she hugger her black diary tightly to her chest. She made a sharp turn down the sidewalk to where a fence was going around a huge area of open field.

Pushing through the old gate, Kagome made her way down the muddy path never looking up from the ground. Her shoes were stained with mud and her socks were as well, but at the moment she didn't care. She cut across the grass to a dark area on the far side of a god tree 

looming over head, little droplets of water dripping from the leaves and creating a shower of its own.

Kagome lifted her backpack off of her shoulder and placed it on the soaking wet grass. She also put down the umbrella and tied it up leaving it by her knapsack.

With both hands still securely wrapped around her diary she strode under the god tree and lifted her face from the looking at the ground to the leaves above, letting the water caress her face, hair, skin, and clothes.

She knelt down near the base of the trunk, where one stone stood protruding out of the ground, its solid grey cement looking slightly darker because of the rain. Japanese was etched into the stone, but was wearing down a bit because it had stood for quite a while.

Kagome leaned down on one knee, not caring about getting wet as she knelt before the grave.

"Hello daddy," Kagome whispered as she touched the face of the grave and ran her hand down the smooth surface, her fingers leaving trails of water in their wake. Her other hand slightly tightened the hold on her diary.

"I really don't know what to do anymore dad……strange things have been happening all over the place, and I have a feeling that I have something to do with it".

By now, Kagome had her legs folded underneath herself as she let her hand slide to the bottom of the stone.

"I guess I just want to figure out what my purpose is. I just want to be useful…for once". Kagome pushed her soaking bangs from her eyes as she stared intently at the stone.

She shyly turned her head away from the grave to gaze upon the red umbrella, resting gently and adjacent to her backpack.

Not taking her eyes off the umbrella she started to whisper again.

"I even met a boy who is quite…interesting, he doesn't turn away from me in disgust, but I didn't even get the chance to say I'm sorry".

She pulled her eyes off the umbrella to stare at her dad's resting area once again. She pulled her hand from the stone and put it over her chest, right where her heart lay. "I miss you so much". Her tears now fell gently from her eyes, mixing with the rain water and looking as though she wasn't even crying at all. She let her head fall to her chest and her bangs covered her eyes.

"So you finally show yourself…Siren,"a rough voice hacked through her misery as she whipped her head around, the diary still clutched in her hands.

The person before her was shaded by a dark velvety cloak and it seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders as it was absorbing the rain water. The face was covered by a hood, not even his mouth was showing when he had spoken.

"Who are you?" Kagome whimpered as she involuntarily shivered, not only because of the rain water, but because of the figure standing before her.

"Precious Siren…Oh my precious Siren", he crowed as he took one step closer to her, but her body wouldn't budge, it was almost as if he was trying to draw her in.

'Siren? What is his talking about? I don't understand, what is he trying to say?!' Kagome eyes widened, filled with apprehension.

His hand reached out from under the cloak toward her and Kagome body reacted instinctively.

She put an arm away from her body in an attempt to shield herself, fingers spread wide and her palm aimed toward him.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed and a white light burst from her hand, blinding the intruder as he recoiled from it.

Scrambling frantically while he was distracted, Kagome gathered her things and took off sprinting through the rows of graves. Her feet pounded against mud sending it smearing over her skirt.

She didn't know what the hell just happened back there, or how she did it, but she blessed the gods for that moment in time.

The rain was coming down harder and faster as it stung against her skin. She clutched tightly at her belongings while still running down the sidewalk, but she didn't have the strength to keep it up. Her whole body was weak from lack of food, and the stunt she had just pulled back there.

Kagome tripped on the wet side walk and skidded front first on the wet path, the backpack was flung away from her body, but she still managed to cling to the diary.

She looked up and saw through blurred vision that the red umbrella was just within reach and was sitting innocently a few feet from her.

With her last ounce of strength and with one hand still clutching the diary to herself, she reached out towards the red item, shining through the pouring rain.

But her fingers could only graze it as she felt the collapsing of her energy and her body failed to hold onto consciousness any longer, but her eyes never left the umbrella as they slid closed.

'Inu….yasha'

--

_With Inuyasha_

"Bye Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted over the sound of the rain as he put his backpack above his head to block out some of the water.

"See you later Inuyasha, and don't forget about the meet!" Miroku sprinted off through the rain and almost tripped while rushing around the corner.

"What a freaking idiot," Inuyasha mumbled as he trotted down the side walk as the rain was steadily growing. He turned the corner about to make a run across the street, when something caught his eye on the sidewalk.

He peered through the rain and his eyes shot open like a deer in headlights.

"Kagome?!"

He dropped his backpack at once and sprinted through the rain, not caring about how wet he would get and skidded to a stop. So his eyes didn't lie to him…

Kagome was collapsed on the sidewalk with her already-soaked body surrounded by a puddle of water. Her arm seemed to be reaching out for something and Inuyasha immediately recognized it to be his umbrella that he had given her.

He knelt before her form and turned her on his knee so she was facing upward. He cupped her face with is palm and gently tilted her head to the side to get a good look at her face as the rain water lapped at her skin.

'What in Kami's name happened to her? It looks like she fainted and she is so pale…' Inuyasha also noticed that she was clutching that black book he had seen earlier on the bus.

"If I don't act fast she could be seriously sick," Inuyasha whispered to himself as he picked her up bridal style with ease. 'She weighs next to nothing! God damn it! Is she anorexic?'

He gathered his and her possessions and walked with her securely in his arms back to his house, but his eyes kept trailing across the black book she held.

'That thing must be damn important if she is still holding it when she's unconscious,' Inuyasha thought as he crossed the street gaining some worried looks from people passing by.

'She better have a damn good explanation when she wakes up'. With that, Inuyasha hastily rushed her to his own house.

--

_With Kagome and Inuyasha_

Kagome awoke with something soft under her and something softer above her and she recognized it to be a bed with a blanket covering her. She still felt a little damp, but not that wet and she realized she was still in her same uniform.

She swiftly sat up only to notice a stinging pain in her lower abdomen as she hissed at the soreness.

"You should have known better than to sit up," Inuyasha said while leaning against the side of the doorway a few feet away from her with his silver hair still soaking wet and two towels over his shoulder.

"Inu…yasha?" Kagome whispered as she gripped the wool blanket covering her a little harder. 'How did he get me here? Come to think of it, where am I?'

Inuyasha strode over to her and sat in the wooden chair by the bed. "Judging by the look in your eyes, you're about to ask me 'How did I get here?' So I'll just tell you". Inuyasha was now straddling the chair with his arms crossed and his head lay in the middle of them.

"I found you passed out on the sidewalk with you crushing some book to your chest and you were reaching for my umbrella by the looks of it. Does that answer one of your questions?" Inuyasha smirked lightly when she turned her head away in embarrassment and he knew he had hit the nail on the head.

Suddenly, Kagome's head lashed back in his direction, her eyes were blazing with fear and angst.

"The diary! Where is it? Did you take it? Do I still have it? Did you see…?"

"RELAX! Jesus, I have it okay," he said effectively cutting her off as he went to side of his dresser and pulled out the black book and went to sit on the chair again, but before he could even lift the cover it was snagged away from his hands as Kagome clutched it tightly to her own body.

"God, you seem to care more about that thing than your own life," Inuyasha murmured under his breath as he watched her clutch it.

Kagome felt like such a baka. Here she was sitting with Inuyasha, the guy who took her in after collapsing, and the first thing she went for was to make sure the diary was safe within her grasp.

Looking away from him and focusing outside the closed window at the steadily falling rain Kagome asked him softly, "Did you read it?"

Inuyasha head rose off his arms. "What?"

Kagome turned her head back to him. "Did you read this book?" Kagome glanced down at the diary resting securely in her arms and then back at him, her eyes showing questioning and hope, but for what?

Inuyasha turned his head away, but it still rested in his arms. "No I didn't read it, you think you would give me a little more credit now wouldn't you?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome through the corner of his eye.

Kagome visibly relaxed but suddenly the door opened revealing Sesshomaru with a steaming bowl of something in his hands.

"My younger brother says that you look like you haven't eaten in days, and now I see he is very right", Sesshomaru handed the bowl to Kagome, but she never took her eyes off of them.

"Younger…brother?" Kagome darted her eyes back and fourth between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, now realizing how much they did look alike and how she had made that comparison a while ago.

"Yea…this dolt is my older bro", Inuyasha said as he bit back a laugh.

"Well, I wish you to heal quickly," Sesshomaru said. As he left for the door, he had unknowingly taken a towel from Inuyasha and whipped it in the back of his younger brother's head with incredible force on his way out of the room.

"Hey! Stupid asshole!!" Inuyasha clutched at his head, 'Jesus, Sesshomaru has aim man!' Looking up, Inuyasha noticed that Kagome was staring at him with a soft smile and her eyes were full of warmth…or maybe it was just the whip in the back of the head that was getting to him.

"Feh, you really should eat that, or I'll end up eating it for you", Inuyasha turned his head away in a mock heartless manner.

Kagome stared into the bowl of tomato soup as the aroma filled her senses. Her stomach was yearning for a dish like this. She fingered the porcelain dish and ran her fingers under the bowl as she looked down at her reflection in the soup.

"Thank you Inuyasha", Kagome smiled warmly down into the red substance.

Inuyasha's head shot up and Kagome turned her attention from the soup to Inuyasha as her warm eyes and smile locked with his features. "Thank you very much, for all the help".

Inuyasha stilled as he studied her face, and in that moment realized how truly beautiful that smile was.

Kagome broke the eye contact to stare at the bed covers as she fingered the sheets, "And I am sorry…sorry for calling you a _filthy mongrel_". Kagome had hushed her voice at the last part, as if it was a sin to say it aloud.

Inuyasha was…surprised. She took all the trouble and struggle just to say she was sorry for an insult? She really was something else.

"It's…uh…it's no big deal". Inuyasha fidgeted in his seat as he looked away from her and fought furiously against a blush rising to the surface.

"So what exactly happened to you out there?" Inuyasha asked changing the subject and waiting patiently for her answer.

She hesitated for a few moments and it was eerily quiet until she responded. "I fainted from lack of food because I had stopped eating for a while". It wasn't a lie; she did partially pass out from that anyway.

Inuyasha's eyebrows knitted together in a rather pissed off expression.

"But I wasn't turning anorexic if that's what you think; I just…had a lot going on at the time, emotionally". Kagome responded quickly as she saw Inuyasha's expression.

Inuyasha stared at her a while longer before getting up and pulling out some extra blankets from the closet. Kagome saw this and set her soup down on the side table next to the bed.

"You don't need to do that, I have to leave anyway, I've already been here long enough," Kagome said as she made a move to remove the covers.

"Oh no you don't, you can barely even stand and you haven't eaten in god-knows-how-long, I don't think so". Inuyasha placed the stack of blankets by the foot of the bed for her as he left for the door way. He turned to see Kagome staring at him and decided to elaborate for her.

"That soup better be eaten before I get back". Inuyasha closed the door and retreated down the steps towards the kitchen where his brother was reading the newspaper and had already thrown the comics in the recycling, Sesshomaru never found those blasted things funny in the least bit, come to think of it, he never found anything funny.

Inuyasha took a seat across from him and took an apple from the fruit basket in the center of the table. He took a good chunk out of it with his fangs and began chewing, but slowed his chomping when he thought about the way Kagome had looked at him, his eyes softened without him noticing, but it didn't go unseen by a certain older brother.

Without looking up from the paper Sesshomaru said to him in a dull tone, "You falling for her rather hard, don't you think baby brother?"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?" Without warning, the half eaten apple was chucked and went right through the left side of the newspaper, leaving a ripped opening.

"NOTHING, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT". Inuyasha rose from his chair and made his way to the living room, growling something about fucktard (fucking retard) brothers.

"Pity", Sesshomaru said as he looked at the gaping hole in his newspaper with indifference, "And I was reading that article too".

After about two more hours of brooding Inuyasha made his way back up the stairs and cracked open the door of his room. The bowl that once contained soup was now empty and sitting on the nightstand by his bed.

He looked over at the raven haired girl to find her sleeping. She smelt of spring flowers and fresh water and though he would never admit it, it was quite delightful on the nose. Her face was innocent and calm, neither sad nor happy. Her raven hair was splayed all over the pillows and her hands rested by her sides and she breathed deeply but quietly in her sleep, her lips were…..

'Oh holy shit no! I'm not morphing into Miroku …god that sounded so much like some cheesy love fic for a second there…ewwww'.

Inuyasha made his way to sit on the chair resting at the side of the bed.

'Come to think of it, she did have a lot of mud all over her clothes, and I don't think you would have gathered that just by fainting, especially in the rain. I wonder what she was doing before that.'

Inuyasha's mind started to wonder off as he shut his eyes welcoming sleep over as well.

--

_Late Night at the Graveyard_

The hooded figure paced back and fourth in front the god tree and the tomb that rested at the base of the trunk.

"Damn her! This bloody Siren is much more powerful than the last one. She actually tapped into her powers". His voice was deep and rich and his eyes flashed entirely red and went back to normal.

Kagura watched from a tree branch above him as she still twisted the feather before letting it lay in her palm and closing her fingers around it.

"Why are you fretting? It was your own fault for waiting for so long". Kagura squeezed the feather, but still let it rest in her palm.

"Do you think I had a choice you impertinent woman? I refuse to make the same mistake I made last time, and my plan will not fail me now, not when her _teacher_ is on the line". He chuckled darkly, his glasses flashing with a bluish glint from the moonlight and hid his eyes.

"Your own ass is on the line as long as you're in that bloody body Naraku, how long do plan to keep it up?" Kagura had now jumped off the branch and landed in front of him.

"As long as I need him to serve his purpose," Naraku said while lifting his 35 year-old fingers and flexing them.

"Yes, his body shall do very nicely for the time being. And now Onigumo, you'll never be alone again; I'll always be one walking one step ahead of you". He pulled the hood over his head shielding his face from view once again as he moved to stand beside Kagura.

"No longer will I have to worry about using and disposing of pitiful mortal bodies, not when I will receive an invincible one," He chortled as the moonlight shown down on him and he looked into the far distance of the night's sky.

"Yes, the Siren shall fall under my control……….and the jewel……….**will be mine**".

Kagura looked sadly at the feather as a gust of wind blew it from her palm and into the cool night wind.


	7. She's Not What She Seems

**Chapter 7, She's not what she seems**

The library was always a wonderful sanctuary in school, no one to bug you or to bother you, it's really quiet, and you can just keep to yourself.

'Peaceful is not the word I'm looking for right now'. Kagome sat at one of the computers in the back of the library vigorously typing to find as much information on the disappearance of Kanna. It seemed that most of the articles that were processed were the same one that she had read from Onigumo's briefcase.

Onigumo couldn't have been a help to her now anyway, he had been absent for almost an entire week and no one had gotten in contact with him as of yet.

After the whole passing out fiasco, Kagome apologized for the intrusion into Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's house, but Inuyasha seemed more concerned about the fact that she was alright, which she found slightly strange, I mean it was embarrassing enough having to sleep in a guy's house, let alone having him concerned for you, and Kagome of all people?

Though Onigumo was not found in any of the articles because he remained anonymous, Kagome found out some more interesting facts about Kanna. After reading a background information article, Kagome established that Kanna started off at an orphanage because her single mother died in childbirth and she was left in the care of them. But that didn't seem too surprising. The shocker was that Kanna had an older sister who was already put into the orphanage right after their mother's death with Kanna, meaning they were together for a period in time.

Kagome dragged the mouse down the page and her eyes widened. The address of the orphanage was displayed in the right-hand corner. It seemed as though it wasn't too far from the school, maybe a few blocks or so, but she could walk it. Kagome eyes blazed toward the screen. 'Then that's what I'll do, I'll go to the orphanage and see if they know a little bit more about this'.

She left-clicked the print button to make sure she had the address with her, and then exited out of the window. Kagome got up from the chair and made her way to the printer but stopped dead in her tracks with her eyes wide as volleyballs.

Standing over the printer and leaning on the table was Inuyasha, seeming to waiting for something to print, since he seemed to think that glaring knives at it would make it go faster.

Kagome inched her way toward the table, trying to keep out of his line of vision, but if her paper came before his, he might try and read it and get suspicious! 'Oh god, this just makes it all the better,' she thought sardonically. She walked up to the table feeling like a fool and turned her head away from him, praying that he didn't recognize who she was.

Inuyasha noticed someone by him and ended his glaring match at the printer to look. 'Black hair, with a bluish tint…. Oh!'

His eyes widened. "Kagome, is that you?" He moved slightly closer for a better look, 'I'd know that hair anywhere'.

Kagome turned her head to look at him with a slightly guilty expression. "Hi, uh Inuyasha," she whispered, this was a library after all. "Listen…" Kagome started speaking while studying his composure as he looked right back at her, the printer totally forgotten. "I want to thank you again," she shifted to look at the table top, "for taking care of me, I really can't thank you enough".

"Keh, it's no big deal. Just don't try a stunt like that again." Inuyasha suddenly found it hard to keep looking at her without turning crimson so he looked away and at the printer that already seemed to have printed out two pages. He lifted the first one and studied it while Kagome tensed beside him.

"An orphanage? Who would print out an address to an orphan- hey!" Before Inuyasha could ask, Kagome pried his fingers off the page and stuffed it into her backpack. She looked down at the wooden floor before answering, "It's my paper, and I just needed it for a project, a very important project".

Kagome couldn't look him in the eye while telling the lie because she knew she would have blurted out something that wasn't meant to be heard if she saw his face. Despite that fact, she decided to be brave. Kagome lifted her eyes to his and he had the most disbelieving look she had ever seen, but he could see that she didn't want to say anything more so he let it drop.

Kagome leaned on the balls of her feet and darted her eyes on everything but him. "I guess I'll just be going now. Ummm….See you later".

Kagome went to make a dash for the exit of the library, but a clawed hand smoothly took hold of her wrist before she could make it.

She reared her head around so fast someone would have thought she had whiplash.

No boy, absolutely no boy outside of her family had ever touched her willingly, let alone would do it in front of others.

Inuyasha apparently was nervous about something, because he seemed to have gone back to the previous eye darting that she had been doing. "Wait, I um…I wanted to ask you something". His eyes finally met with hers as honey brown clashed with molten gold.

"What is it?" Though Kagome was all too aware that he was still holding on to her wrist, she continued to further question him.

"Would you…I mean do you want to…Ok, let me start over". Inuyasha took a breath and looked down to see that he was shuffling his own feet. 'Talk about embarrassing,' he thought moodily.

"I know that we don't really…well, talk a lot, but I wanted to know…" He trailed off while looking back at her, "You see, there is a meet this Sunday for ice-hockey and I was wondering…well would you like to come?" He could see the doubt in her eyes so he hurried to finish, "I mean you don't have to stay long, you could just drop by or something…"

Kagome's brain froze for a long moment and her emotions went blank. This didn't go unnoticed by Inuyasha and he took it the wrong way.

'This is stupid, I shouldn't have asked, she's going to think I'm an idiot'. Inuyasha diverted his attention back to his feet and he closed his eyes.

"I would like that".

Inuyasha's eyes pried open and he raised his head to look at her, only to find that she had been looking at him the whole time. She had tiny blush streaks adorning the bridge of her nose and cheeks. It didn't differ too much from what he had on his face either. She met his eyes with a kind smile that only she could muster.

Inuyasha gave her a true smile in return instead of his usual smirks and grins. "I'll be waiting then".

--

_That Afternoon, with Kagome_

Kagome walked on the sidewalk occasionally giving a smile to those who were passing by. School had already finished, but Kagome decided to walk home since the weather was absolutely beautiful on this Friday afternoon. From somewhere in the distance she heard her name being called.

"Kagome, Hey Kagome wait up!" Kagome turned back to see Sango dodging her way through pedestrians to catch up with her. She landed beside her with nothing but a running bra on and some biker shorts. She had finger-gloves but her hands were bunched into fists from jogging. She huffed a bit and wiped some sparkling sweat from her forehead. "Hey I didn't know you were walking home today".

"Yea…I guess I didn't feel like taking the bus today, it is nice weather after all," Kagome said but was still studying her outfit with question, wondering how the heck she got the guts to wear that in public.

Sango noticed the direction of her stare and smiled. "I have to stay in shape somehow. We have a meet on Sunday and even if its practice, every meet in varsity counts, plus it's one step closer to becoming M.V.P". Sango was rubbing her glove-clad hands together and smiley evilly as she chuckled.

Kagome didn't understand the humor in it, but smiled anyway. "Well then Sango, I hope you become M.V.P because you seem to be pretty enthusiastic about the whole idea".

"Well, I know it will never happen, but it doesn't stop me from trying. I pretty much have a snowball's chance in hell of beating Inuyasha, he's a god at the sport, but I think I could top Kouga or Miroku," Sango said while jogging lightly with Kagome's brisk steps. "Hey Kagome, I could give you a ride back if you'd like, I'm heading to my car anyway so I could just drive you back home".

Kagome looked back at Sango to answer but she saw that Sango was a bit edgy and nervous about something, "Are you ok?" Kagome asked lightly.

Sango jogged slightly ahead of Kagome and faced her so she could walk backwards. "This might sound strange, but I wanted to know, do you trust me Kagome?" Sango panted slightly, but still kept her eyes on Kagome.

'Are you serious? This is so out-of-the-blue, why is she asking me this?' "What?" Kagome did a double-take with Sango, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Well, you know how you said not to judge people?" Kagome nodded signaling for Sango to continue, "Well the truth is, those other girls you see me hanging with, I don't really favor them, and I don't hang out a lot, only if it's with Inuyasha or Miroku," after Miroku's name she added on the side, "not likely," but kept it low enough not to be heard. "But, I just think, that I've gotten closer to you then anyone else, I feel like I've known you for years, and I wanted to know if you return the feeling".

Kagome was in awe of the girl walking backwards in front of her, she was a totally different person from what she was when she hung around with her so-called 'friends' at school.

"Well that was certainly unexpected, I never really- Sango!" Sango hadn't waited for her answer as she grabbed Kagome by the arm and ran to her car and Kagome didn't have any choice but to follow.

Once inside the car a nice tune was playing, some oldie song that's not the best jingle in the bunch, but you really didn't feel like changing it. Kagome sat staring face front, thinking about the question that Sango had asked while Sango was keeping her eyes on the road as she pulled up to Kagome's house. Neither of them had talked during the five-minute car ride, each of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Sango twisted the key, turning the engine off as she tilted her head to the side to look at Kagome, "So?"

Kagome sat still her eyes still facing front before she turned back to Sango with a serious expression, keeping her eyes tight-locked with Sango's ones. "Before I can answer your question Sango, there is something you need to know about me". Sango had a clue as to where she was going with this, but didn't want to jinx it.

Kagome fought to keep her expression from weakening so she blurted out the truth, she owed Sango that much. "Sango, the rumors that you heard, I failed to mention some of them _are_ true".

Sango's face faltered but she pressed on, "Meaning what?"

"Meaning…I can truly see spirits of the no-living Sango, I swear to you with everything I am that I am dead serious". Kagome scrutinized Sango's face carefully, letting out a shaky breath after telling the truth.

Sango looked as though she had been struck in the face with a baseball bat as she turned her attention back to the wheel, letting her bangs cover her eyes. She gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, but didn't say anything in return.

Knowing that she felt betrayed, Kagome continued to look at her. "I can prove it to you Sango," she said tenderly, her eyes softening at the girl beside her.

Sango's head rose as she looked back at Kagome, tears were already brimming the corners of her eyes, "So all that stuff about the ghosts and…it was all…I thought that you said…" But Kagome wasn't looking at her. She seemed to be looking at something right next to her. Sango turned to see what she was staring at, but nothing was beside her so she turned her attention back to Kagome's glassy appearance.

"Kagome…"

"Shhh… Sango please," Kagome said as she focused of the space next to Sango. Her eyes seemed soft and warm, but she was looking at nothing. 'What is she doing?' Sango thought worriedly.

Kagome studied the transparent figure beside Sango; the boy took his black eyes off Sango to lock gazes with Kagome. Kohaku started to speak quietly, his mouth forming the words nice and slow as Kagome waited patiently.

Sango had no idea what was happening. 'Why does she keep staring at the car door? There is nothing to see!'

"Your younger brother," Kagome said after a long moment.

Sango felt like a bomb just exploded in chest and her whole body went rigid. "What…what did you just say?" She whispered her eyes wide with fear as she looked at Kagome like she was Satan.

But Kagome didn't make eye contact with Sango; she continued to stare at the empty space. "He died, in a fire……..You parents…they died trying to protect the both of you, they begged you Sango, they begged you to run…"

Sango's back was against the car door as she stared at Kagome with dread, her nails were digging into the seat, but still she continued to look at Kagome, wishing that this was all a nightmare, that she would wake up any moment now.

"You didn't budge, you wouldn't leave without them, so...before the wall collapsed….. your brother shoved you down the steps and you broke your arm. It took them from you… your mother, father, and brother……all of them……….. But you were saved……you lived".

"NO!" Sango screamed covering her ears. She huddled on the side of the car, eyes wide and tears now visible but not yet fallen, she dared not close her eyes, not wanting to bring back the painful memories she had tried so hard to suppress.

Kagome reached over and soothingly brushed Sango's hair from her face. Sango turned to face Kagome painfully slow, the hairs on her neck standing on end. "Your brother told me that Sango, I can _see_ him, I can _hear _him, even if he is no longer alive, he continues to watch over you," Kagome said as she smiled gently taking Sango's hand in her own.

Sango was too shocked to respond to anything, her body was numb all over, 'how could she have known! I haven't told anyone about my past except for Inuyasha and Miroku, but they don't even know her that well! Is it really possible? It can't be true, how can she know?'

"I'm sorry Sango," Kagome said softly while placing Sango's hand back down. "I needed you to know the truth before you could ever learn to trust me". Kagome got out of the car and delicately shut the door and made her way up to the house, not looking back once.

Sango's emotion came back to her full force as she let the threatening tears fall and the sobs rack her body.

Kagome let one lone tear escape the barrier of her eye as she wiped it away quickly. 'What have I done to deserve this?'

--

_With Inuyasha and Miroku_

Inuyasha sat with his legs stretched out on a coffee table and he was eating a left over carton of ramen. His chopsticks stopped their trail to his mouth when he saw Miroku walk in with a girl's magazine, featuring some undressed woman on the cover.

"Miroku, where the hell did you get that?" Inuyasha said and then stuffed some of the noodles into his mouth only to fish out some more from the bottom the carton.

"Ahh, well you see, I was in the bathroom taking care of my 'business' when I happened to see this little baby lying innocently on the floor, so I thought I would keep it some company. You see, these women on the pages need a true man's opinion of their bodies," Miroku said like a 

wolf dying of hunger as he eagerly flipped to the next page. Drool made its way down his chin and before it could drip onto the page Inuyasha snatched it away from him.

"Fuck Miroku, Sango will kill you if you do anything to her stuff in her house, can't you do anything beside think of girls, I swear you'll hump anything that has breasts and a booty," Inuyasha said as he chucked the magazine behind the couch and went back to his previous eating fest.

"Well, Sango isn't hear right now, so I was just making sure that her things were in order, besides, I'm not the one who took a girl home with him recently".

Miroku smiled in delight as Inuyasha choked on his noodles and his eyebrow ticked, but recieved his desired effect as Inuyasha turned a suspicious color, somewhere between fire engine red and flamingo pink.

Inuyasha ducked his head behind the tiny carton and vowed to make Miroku pay dearly for that comment. Before he could open his mouth to retort the door creaked open.

Inuyasha's tiny triangular ear flicked as the sounds of tiny sobs came from the door. Miroku got up from his position, but immediately stopped at the sight of Sango. Her eyes were red all over and her pupils were dilated. At first it almost seemed like she didn't acknowledge they were even there.

"Sango," Miroku called out tenderly as he neared Sango. He rubbed his hands soothingly on Sango's forearms for comfort. Sango almost never cried in the presence of anyone. She was an emotionally and physically strong girl.

Inuyasha sat up and put the empty carton on the tabletop. Sango's eyes finally focused on where she was and she placed a hand over her heart and one over her mouth. She got out of Miroku's half embrace and went to sit down on the couch beside Inuyasha, as he studied her expression. 'What happened to her? This isn't like Sango to act this way,' Inuyasha thought.

Miroku keeled before Sango and locked eyes with her, "Sango is everything alright?"

Sango took one hand from her mouth, but still kept one over her heart, "She wasn't lying, she really……wasn't lying," Sango murmured as she suddenly focused her attention on Miroku, only now noticing that he was in front of her.

"Who is 'she'?" Inuyasha inquired, this was all too weird for his taste.

Suddenly Sango shot up from the couch almost knocking Miroku down. "KAGOME! KAGOME, SHE WASN'T LYING, MIROKU, INUYASHA, SHE CAN SEE THEM, SHE CAN REALLY SEE GHOSTS!" Sango was breathing heavily after her outburst and turned to look at Inuyasha and Miroku.

Two things happened in that instant. Miroku opened and then closed his mouth, looking like he had seen the apocalypse, but Inuyasha shot up from the couch and accidently knocked the coffee table on its side.

"What did you say?" Inuyasha drawled. Of course he had heard some rumors about it, but he ended up beating the shit out of those guys for it. He never thought of the possibility of it being true.

Sango took a deep breath and lay back on the couch, not caring about the coffee table, or their expressions. "Guys, Kagome can, she really can see them and talk to them, she…she can do it".

Miroku seemed to have come out of his stupor and scrambled up to a leaning position. "Sango, what do you mean? This can't possibly be true," he said as he turned to look at Inuyasha, "Yes, we all have heard the rumors, but maybe she is just playing a trick on you, like all in fun and games, maybe its just a Hokes, there is not possible way that she could actually…"

"She knows about my brother," Sango said interrupting him, not bothering to look either of them straight in the eye.

"Holy shit," Inuyasha breathed, "So it's really true then?"

Sango turned to him, since he seemed to be taking this much better than Miroku. "Unless one of you told…"

She was met with a loud chorus of "NO" and "HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT?" before she turned back to staring at the couch.

"She knew exactly what happened, she told it in general terms, but she knew how my family died in a fire, she said…said she talked to Kohaku," Sango said as she chocked back a sob and leaned into the couch. "She can't be lying, I've never told anyone else, she is not lying, as crazy as this is, I can't believe all the stories were real," Sango said the words in a mere whisper desperately fighting back the liquid glazing her eyes.

Miroku was lost in his thoughts his jaw and teeth clenched, but didn't say a word. 'Can this be? Can Kagome truly do these things? I always thought this was some kind of joke, but now…'

Inuyasha stood up and dusted his pants off. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs, but his jaw was set tight. "Then we have no choice but to trust her".

Both Sango and Miroku looked up at Inuyasha, but Sango joined Inuyasha in standing after a minute of washing blank. She needed to see Kagome again, no matter how crazy this theory was, Kagome knew about her past, so she was determined to figure what this was all about.

Miroku continued to stare for a while, but his deep blue orbs help promise. He knew Sango, the way she would stop at nothing when she wanted to reach a goal, he couldn't help but let a small 

smile escape. 'Well, I guess Kagome doesn't seem so crazy now, does she? Let the wild ride……….begin'.

"Yes, we'll trust her," Sango said after a moment of silence. Though her eyes showed determination, she felt like the slightly younger and scared girl she had been a few years back. Her emotions were getting a hold of her, but somehow, Kagome had known that all along. Kagome was the one who slowly knocked down the walls without her realizing it.

Her impenetrable mask……was finally breaking.

--

_With Kagome the Next Day_

Kagome woke early even though she didn't get much sleep the last night. Something about revealing herself to Sango made her chest tighten when it was supposed to loosen.

She shook her head and her long hair fell around her in a curtain of shimmering black. No matter how she felt she would go to the orphanage today, there was no excuse to not to figure out more about Kanna. 'I guess the fact that I had come so close to finding a real friend really must of hurt me more than I thought it would'.

Kagome got dressed early and made some breakfast for herself. Since her mother and grandfather were out working this Saturday morning she wrote a little note for Souta.

Kagome creeped into his room and stuck the sticky-note on his forehead. She studied Souta's distressed face as he turned his head to the side mumbling. "Please," Souta snorted in his sleep, "I like my pork cutlets fried not broiled".

Kagome giggled warmly, no matter how stressed she was, she always had a warm spot for Souta. She ruffled his hair lightly and tiptoed down the steps and out the door, with her usual backpack and diary in hand, she followed the address to the place where Kanna spent a portion of her life growing up.

--

_At the Orphanage _

Kagome walked into a small white building seeing as how the Japanese sign outside had said:

"_Take one child home and make them smile, and the whole world smiles with you"_

Kagome wondered for a moment how they came up with such a mediocre catch phrase, but stepped inside anyway.

The place was next to empty people-wise, and you could clearly hear the faint cry of children crying in the back. Some people were already walking around selecting some to take home.

The walls were a plain white covered in cute Japanese banners saying happy things about love and friendship and there were clouds painted all over. Under the cloud were yellow ducks with pink umbrellas under their wings.

Since nobody seemed to have noticed her appearance yet, she made her way down the empty corridor as the sound of children crying got louder. Kagome made a left turn until she came to the source of all the cries. Children were lined up in what looked to be play-pens. Some were whimpering, others were laughing, and some just sat idle, maybe entertaining themselves with a toy or two.

Kagome walked down the rows, but something caught her attention. In one of the pens a lone boy sat. He seemed very small with a bushy tail. He also had startling turquoise eyes and white irises and was toying with a gyroscope. He stopped poking at it when a shadow covered him.

Kagome saw that his eyes flashed with recognition before he slowly got up and waddled over to her and his tiny hands grasped the bars blocking his way.

"Hello there," Kagome said softly while reaching over to lightly touch his head of sandy brown hair, he flinched away from her hand and she drew it back instantly.

"I'm sorry, you must be so scared," she murmured with empathy for the young one. 'I know how that feels', she whispered in her mind.

"You're very pretty lady," he piped all of a sudden, his mini elf ears twitching as he gave her a cute smile.

Kagome's eyes widened as a small blush reddened her cheeks, "why thank you…" Kagome looked over on the side of the bars for the little name tag posted, "…Shippo". Kagome finished the gratitude with a smile down at him.

"Your welcome pretty lady," Shippo said as he went back to retrieve the gyroscope and brought it back to where she was crouching.

"You can call me Kagome. I'm not very used to the name 'pretty lady'." Kagome beamed sincerely as he looked up at her with wide eyes, full of longing, but Kagome didn't look at his expression.

She picked up the gyroscope from his tiny paw and held it in front of her. "You know Shippo; these are not just simple toys, if you look closely…" Kagome put it in front of his eyes and gave the inner ring and gentle shove as it started to rotate and his eyes got bigger if that was even possible, "…it looks similar to that of the earth's rotation. If you just take the time to look at it, it doesn't seem so boring anymore. It just goes to show what little wonders you can find right in front of your eyes".

Kagome handed the still-turning gyroscope back to Shippo who seemed more fascinated with the toy now than ever before.

After studying it for a short moment he put it down on the ground and put his hands up as far as the would reach toward her, his eyes full of hope and welcoming, the universal sign to be picked up.

Kagome took the hint and reached down, and when her hand grazed the sides of his stomach through his little green shirt, he didn't flinch, he continued to look at her, like she was a light in the darkness. She picked him up and cradled him on her side, each of his legs on either side of her hip as he gripped the arm of the shirt.

"You remind me, so much of my mom, she was older than you, but she was always saying 'phili-sofical' stuff. I don't know what that word means, but I know that you are different, nobody else treats me the way you do," Shippo said looking down at the gyroscope that was still turning.

Kagome smile affectionately down at the boy resting on her hip as she shifted him, 'So he means philosophical then, his mother must have been so lucky to have a child like him.'

Shippo turned his head back to face her, his wide eyes held an exciting look. "But can I tell you a secret Kagome?"

Kagome trained her gaze on his face for a moment, "Of course you can tell me".

Shippo delved deep into her brown orbs before smiling and at the same time whispering, "I see people, peoples that no one else can see Kagome……..they speak to me…… I think I'm a super hero with powers, but I don't want to tell anyone, I want it to be a secret and I know I can trust you".

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked upon him to see if he was making this up, but he held no sign of lies. Her eyes softened as she placed him back inside the pen and leaned over the low bars.

"Well Shippo, I have a secret to tell you too," Kagome said while cupping his cheek. He looked at her with curiosity before grabbing her slender hands in his tiny paws. "What is it? You can tell me, my lips are sealed," Shippo said as he imitated zipping his lips and tossing the imaginary key away.

She studied him for a long moment before leaning over to his elf ear and softly saying,

"I have super powers, too."

Shippo's eyes widened to the size of beach balls, but before he could answer a cough interrupted the moment.

Kagome whipped around to find that she was kneeling before Kaede sama herself, the principle of Tokyo high, who was currently dressed in a comfortable nurse gown, looking down at Kagome.

Kagome felt like a snake just bit her as she moved to stand up and bow at the same time which ended in her doing neither, and just looking awkward.

Kaede sized her up for a brief moment and turned with her back facing Kagome. "Follow me Kagome".

Kagome made a shaky move to stand up; she knew that this was the end, how deadly it must be to be caught by the principle snooping around in a child orphanage. She started to will her legs to go when Shippo cried out. "Wait Kagome!"

Kagome turned back to Shippo and he seemed to be fiddling with something on his neck. Kagome neared him and he finally unhooked what he was trying to get. Kagome gasped at what she saw.

A gold chain with a simple gold heart locket was twirling before her eyes. It glinted in the light of the room and looked stunning. 'Such a simple yet beautiful piece or work', Kagome thought as she kneeled before him.

"I want you to have it Kagome, I found it under my blanket, and I think it would look pretty on you," Shippo said giving her a shy smile as he placed it in her hands. "I can't get it to open, but maybe you can try".

"Oh Shippo," she said while looked at him with a tender visage. "Thank you so much, and just keep believing, you'll find yourself in the arms of a new family someday". Shippo only nodded his head in return and tiny tears welled in his eyes as she stood up and closed her fingers around the chain. She let it rest in her bag, but failed to notice that the locket gave off a light glow.

Kaede soon ushered her into a near by office with a pensive look on her face. Kagome sat in a nearby chair. She was way too scared at this point to think on her own two feet.

Kaede sat across from her letting her hands clasp together in an orderly fashion. "You are not in any trouble Kagome; I just want you to know that".

Well, that certainly lightened the load about 83 percent of the way. Kagome let her bag fall to the floor as she sat straight in her chair. "Then what was did you need me for Kaede sama?"

Kaede smiled and shook her head slightly, "You can cut the sama, but it's time we discuss some things Kagome, it's time you know who you truly are."

Kagome sat rooted to her chair, what did she mean by that?

Kaede decided this wouldn't work by stringing it out longer than need be, after all, they didn't have much time, and Kagome needed to know, she needed to know **now**. 'I made my mistakes with Kanna, and we both paid dearly for them, I won't let the same happen with Kagome'.

Kaede stood and locked her eyes with Kagome's questioning ones, trying to answer her as bluntly as possible. "I know about your ability to see the dead Kagome, and I know that you have taken an interest in Kanna's past".

Kagome felt like the world had crashed…….. right on her body. Her mouth was wide open, eyes bulging, she felt dizzy. 'Kaede knew! _She_ knew! How can she know? This is insane!'

"It wasn't too hard to believe either…" Kaede pressed on, "You are who you are and you can't change that, but something big will happen if we don't do something about it, and when I mean we…well I mean you, only you can finish the job."

"What job?" Kagome yelped standing on her own to feet. She didn't seem to be aware that at the moment she was having an intense conversation with the principle of the school. The fact that Kaede knew about her ability let alone accepted it scared her greatly.

"Kagome," Kaede said gently and stopped Kagome to meet her eyes. "Believe it or not, you're not alone in this department, I can sense your abilities, and I'm trying to help you".

Kagome's head was spinning, 'She can _sense_ my abilities? What is the world…?'

"-Do you know who you are Kagome?" Kaede cut her thoughts tensely.

Kagome washed blank. That question she had pondered since she was old enough to think on a higher level basis. This was something she had wanted to know.

With a shake of Kagome's head Kaede's look softened, "Kagome, you are….special,"she said as she started to pace slowly around the room. Kaede looked out the window at some children on the swings laughing and playing for an instant.

"And that goes unnoticed by many people, but it is time that I tell you, what must really happen, Kanna and you are very different in that speculation, but you do share one thing".

Kagome stared at her. While Kaede was pacing to ease her anxiety, Kagome stood frozen to her spot where her feet were on the floor. 'So she knows who Kanna is?' Kaede was much more influential when she was talking calmly like this, her usual tart and harsh replies were no where near the way she was speaking now. 'If she believes me…' Kagome thought hesitantly, 'then I have no reason not to listen to her, she said she could help me, so why not take the chance?'

"What do we share then?" Kagome said almost inaudibly, her shining eyes sweeping over Kaede's face and stopping for a moment on the patch that covered one of her eyes.

"Kanna….like you…….could see the dead as well".

Kagome gasped and backed up. "No, that can't be, how is that possible? I thought I was the only one……"

"Kagome, you are known as what is called a "Siren", meaning that you are a messenger of the dead," Kaede cut her off as she stood before her, her usual slouched shoulders now stood broad and tall.

"_Precious Siren…Oh my precious Siren"_

Kagome flinched visibly at the sudden memory of that name, that man who had called her that, his voice, that deep voice sounded so familiar.

"Meaning that…" Kagome started to speak brokenly as brought her eyes to meet Kaede who was continuing to pace back a fourth again. "Kanna was also a "Siren" when she was alive. Then, how do you know about her? How is it that you know so much about her and me?" Kagome questioned her, though there was no trace of anger in her voice, flames were burning behind her eyes.

Kaede stopped pacing to sigh and look down at the ground. "I use to work here as a full time job 17 years ago. I loved to work with others, if it meant helping a child in need. That is when Kanna came with her older sister, and I knew something was different about them. I knew who she was from the beginning, and I could sense her secret as I could also sense yours".

Kagome sank back into the chair, trying to follow the story so far. Unknown to her, when she dropped her bag, her black diary had slipped out revealing its cover.

Kaede trained her gaze to the book and her eyes flashed with wonder. Kagome followed her line of vision and let out a tiny squeak as she went to cover the book back up, but Kaede stopped her. Something in Kaede's body language told her not to oppose.

Kaede gently lifted the book and turned it over a couple of time before speaking again, this time not looking up from the book. "Later on when Kanna got a little older, we learned that she was mute. At the time none of us knew sign language to teach her nor did we have enough money to hire someone to do it, so we did the next best thing…" Kaede trailed off while studying the diary for a long moment, but Kagome's voice cut through her inspecting.

"So you taught her to write," Kagome said barely above a whisper.

Kaede chuckled slightly, "You are indeed as smart as they come Kagome. Yes, I taught her to write. Many said it was impossible, but Kanna was quick to learn, she was almost eager to do it too. This book that you now hold Kagome," Kaede gave the dairy back to Kagome as she kept it in her lap, "Was once Kanna's diary as well."

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at the book in her lap. "So this…this is what Kanna wrote in, this is how she communicated!"

"Yes, that's how she did, and I soon became close to the girl, though we did not share a bond that was apparent, I knew that her fate would be a dangerous one, and I knew that she might not have enough time. That was when _he_ came, I blessed him for it."

Kagome could grip things now; her brain began to process the information. Her eyes shown with comprehension as she moved to stand up.

"ONIGUMO SAMA! He was the one who came to adopt her right? He was her foster father. Kanna told me that, she wanted him to 'find peace', she talked to me through the diary!" Kagome knew that this was getting her closer. Somewhere deep down, Kaede could help her.

Kaede nodded, "So she has been communicating with you has she? I didn't know that Kanna would find you so early."

"I've been seeing her practically since I could walk, but why did Onigumo sama decide to adopt her?" Kagome asked with innocent curiosity.

"I could see it right from the moment he laid eyes on her. He said to me she was much like him at the time. Secluded and lonely, distant from people, and when he saw her, she somehow melted the barrier for him, and I was happy that Kanna was happy". Kaede was smiling sadly, probably replaying the fond memory in her mind.

Kagome couldn't see how this could turn horrible, so she asked. "Then what happened?" It came out as a gentle question; she didn't want to break the trance.

But it broke anyway, Kaede's face hardened with distinct regret. "I had no choice but to tell her what her mission was before she left, I couldn't leave this area in chaos and Kanna was the only one who could stop it, so I told her…I told her what she needed to do…."

"What did….she need…..to do?" Kagome asked slowly, she didn't really want to know the answer.

"She needed…to destroy the jewel," Kaede said with a stressed sigh as she leaned on the wooden desk. "The jewel is still alive today and it needs to be destroyed…as you can see, she failed her mission".

"The jewel, what is that?" Kagome questioned, she didn't like where this was going at all. What ever the jewel was, it was deadly, if this is what caused Kanna to die, it had to be a threat.

"The jewel is exactly as it sounds Kagome, a pink circular object, twice the size of pearl, but it has the most amazing power and spirit could ask for." Kaede now faced her, looking tired and grave.

"And what power is that?" Kagome asked after a silent pause, everything was slowly starting to add up.

"A second chance at life. And not only that, but an invincible body, once it is touched by a spirit, they are granted a body of eternal life".

Kagome was horror stricken, but her mind was still working as good as ever. "But then wouldn't every spirit be going after it? It would have been found by now".

"There is catch to this precious item," Kaede said in a low tone, matching her serious composure. "The jewel cannot be seen by the eyes of spirit…………but only by the eyes," Kaede paused for a breath, "……of a Siren".

Kagome leaned over on the chair, her hands clasped in her lap. "So then why aren't ghosts coming after me? Just because I see them doesn't mean they are coming after me."

"That is very true, but you don't realize how strong you really are. That is the difference between you and Kanna. Your spirit burns strong and proud, but Kanna was weak and fragile in her young age. You have had time to develop your strength, physically and emotionally, though I don't know why Naraku would wait as long as now……." Kaede trailed off deep in thought.

"Naraku," Kagome breathed the name like an icicle on her tongue.

She sat rigid in her chair after saying his name. The name Naraku brought pain and suffering. Naraku was a blood thirsty monster. Naraku was an insufferable beast.

Naraku……………took her father from her.

"…..how do you know Naraku?" Kaede asked frantically, unsure of how the question would be answered.

"I watched that disgusting creature, murder my father," Kagome said bitterly as her face darkened.

Kaede watched her for a moment, giving her a silence she deserved, but she far from pitied her. "He has taken….many lives in the time that he was alive."

Kaede put a wrinkled hand on Kagome's shoulder, but she didn't look up fearing that she would let the tears fall. "And that is why he still wreaks havoc in the after life; he was never satisfied with killing, a sick and obsessed man."

"He was not…..a man," Kagome ground out through clenched teeth.

Kaede nodded once again lapsing into silence. Kagome was the first to break it.

"So then…Naraku is behind Kanna's death?" Kagome said it quietly after hurrying to wipe away a few stray tears that escaped.

Kaede clasped her other hand on Kagome's shoulder and looked up. "Yes, but Naraku had died before Kanna existed. Of course spirits know of the Jewel's existence. But no spirit had the strength or the will to find it, until Naraku."

"So Naraku, as a spirit continued to watch Kanna closely, becoming more like her stalker than anything else. I know this because Kanna came to this same office you're sitting in right now and told me. I knew Naraku all over the newspapers before her time, how he killed countless people and loved to feel the blood of their dead bodies in his hands, until he was eventally caught and sentenced to death, but he was laughing the whole way through."

"But then, how did Kanna die?" Kagome's hands were shaking in her lap. This information was overwhelming and she didn't really know where this was going, it was just taking a turn for the worse.

Kaede breathed deeply and took her hands from Kagome's shoulders. She paced around until she reached the front of Kagome, but Kaede looked at the bright window. It was already peek afternoon. "That, I had to witness myself".

Kagome's breath caught in her chest. This is what she had come hear to figure out in the first place, but it ended up leading her somewhere she never thought she would be.

Kaede continued anyway. "I was there, walking home in the dusk of the evening when it happened….. Kanna had walked to the edge of the Tokyo bay and was sitting still with her black diary. It happened so quickly I had no chance of ever stopping it. An invisible force tore through her chest exposing a bright flash of light as I heard Kanna's plea of help beings swallowed, before in all disappeared, leaving the surrounding area completely black." Kaede was breathing heavily, trying hard to keep herself composed.

Suddenly Kaede spun on Kagome with deep determination in her orbs. "I'm lead to believe that Naraku had tried to posses her to obtain the ability to see the jewel, but didn't quite know how to do it, and instead, and was so eager to get it, tore right through her soul, erasing her existence all together."

Kagome was the one breathing heavily this time. "How…" Kagome started trying to form the words, but nothing seemed to be working.

Kaede grabbed the sides of her chair, forcing Kagome to look her in the eyes. "That is why…Kagome, you must complete the task. You must destroy the jewel. Complete the job that Kanna couldn't. It won't be long now until Naraku comes after you. The reason he waited was so you're emotional balance would be thrown off. Only when your emotions are suicidal and 

weak can a spirit even try to take over the body and mind. That way he would be able of take over your soul without ripping it apart like he did last time with Kanna. He doesn't want to make the same mistake again…..but neither do we."

Kaede locked eyes with Kagome. "Please Kagome….you're our only hope left…..stop him………do it for all the people's lives he stole…….do it for your father."

Kagome studied her face for a long while. Her mind was reeling, processing, working harder than any math problem she had ever used it on. She knew what the risks were and what could happen. There was no telling the struggles she might have to overcome. She also knew she could die.

"I'll do it."


	8. Friends

**Chapter 8, Friends**

Kagome was spread out in an angel-like fashion on her bed, her eyes unconsciously scanning her ceiling as she was so lost in thought. 'Just great, today is Sunday yet I still have so much to put up with'. Kagome turned on her side and watched Buyo who was sound asleep beside her. Occasionally, his little furry ear would flicker to the fine sounds coming from downstairs. Kagome gently reached over and grazed the tip as it rotated away from her fingers. She sighed contently. 'Just like Inuyasha's…'

'Inuyasha?'

"Oh crap!" Kagome fumbled off the bed and fell on her butt while Buyo sprang off the bed in a jumbled mess and fell on Kagome's back. She stood up while Buyo slid off her back and ran to the clock by her desk. '12:00 noon, I think I still have some time, but will he even care?'

Kagome threw a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve white shirt and made her way downstairs. Her hair was tied with a white ribbon in a low ponytail and she was wearing the gold locket she had received from Shippo. The diary was once again securely in her hand.

As she passed the kitchen she saw her mom cooking on the stove while her grandfather was reading the newspaper. 'Things have been so peaceful around the house lately…'

Kagome face darkened as she went into the kitchen. 'But I know it can never stay this way, not if I want to……not if I need to catch Naraku'. Her grandfather looked up from his newspaper about to give his greeting to his granddaughter when he saw the distress on her face.

Kagome had always been his special grandchild, in a strong way she reminded him so much of his son-in-law. He knew of the bond that Kagome had with her father, how hard it was for her to get over that fact that her father had died a most…painful death.

"Kagome," Mrs.Higurashi turned around from her position at the stove and set down the curry that she had been just cooking.

Kagome brought her eyes up from the ground. "Yes, Mom?"

Kagome was met with a pair of tired brown eyes and she had to refrain from gasping. It looked as though her mother had been crying. Her eyes were darkened and they were red-rimmed. What could have caused her to be like this?

"I overhead Souta this morning Kagome," she paused and wiped her hands on the dish towel before returning to her daughter's stare, "you're still telling him those ridiculous ghost stories. Why must you still do this Kagome?"

Kagome's gaze never wavered as she responded almost robotically. "They are not ridiculous mom; I am telling the truth and its Souta's decision to believe me or not."

"I have had enough of this!" Mrs. Higurashi's composure broke as she planted her two hands firmly on the table-top. "I'm tired of this Kagome, tired of you doing these things, tired of you……of you being like this…" She finished off with a desperate whisper as she looked at her hands and not in the face of her pained daughter.

Kagome stood rooted, she didn't move as she watched her mother in silence and her grandfather out of the corner of her eye. He had his hands in his lap and his eyes were closed.

Mrs. Higurashi lifted her hands off the table carefully and replaced them with working at the stove again. "Why can't you just be…"

"Normal?" Kagome finished for her, her tone light and strained.

"Why can't I be like Souta, mom? Why can't I be like grandpa, mom? Why can't I be like **you,** mom?" Her voice was rising in pitch with every question.

"Well you know what mom!" Kagome almost yelled now walking forward to stand right next to her mother as she slammed her hands down right by the stove, making her mother almost drop the pan.

"WHY CAN'T **YOU** BE LIKE DAD?" Kagome stood firm, her chest slightly heaving with her quick breaths. Not a single tear marred her face and her eyes shown with defiance.

"He believed me mom, he made me who I am today, he trusted me with his heart and soul, and I don't regret a day I spent with him, I only hope that someday you'll feel the same." Kagome continued without restraint, her soul burning with fire and this was only the fuel.

"Naraku is dead mom, but he still wreaks havoc, maybe you're too blind to see it, but I know better now. I know my purpose, and if you are anything of the woman that dad first fell in love with, you would be behind me every step of the way."

Kagome stopped for a moment and looked up, her gaze never leaving the tiled wall of the kitchen. "I'm going to stop him; I know I can do it. And somewhere inside of you mom……..somewhere inside of you, you know that I can do it too. I believe in you, but… can you believe in me?"

Knowing that she wouldn't get an answer, Kagome pivoted on her heel and took a water bottle from the fridge in silence as she slammed the door on her way out of the house.

Mrs. Higurashi dropped the pan that she had been clenching tightly and slid to the floor as she breathed with restraint, taking shuddering pants and her eyes wide open with tears on the edge, about to fall. She let herself go as she cried in silent tears. Kagome's grandfather finally let his eyes open and looked at his daughter with soft eyes. In silence, he got up from his chair and gently hugged her, letting her release the tension that she had long been holding in. Despite her tears soaking through his sweater he smiled very lightly.

'You truly are like your father, my Kagome.'

--

_At The Ice Hockey Rink_

"OK!! Ok guys bring it in". The coach, Myoga was standing in the middle of the ice hockey rink as the team swerved in, the sound of their metal blades making a loud scraping sound against the newly cleared ice. His stout figure and rounded belly made him look like a miniature Santa Clause, but he differed by having an almost carrot shaped nose and chubby arms and legs. His grey hair stuck out on either side of his head as the bald top of it glinted from the florescent lights. The varsity team towered over him, but he was the one who had the whistle.

"Now all of you, I want to make this count, and as you all know, I'm always scouting for a new M.V.P," he shifted his beady eyes to Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes in return and Kouga sneered his way.

"Alright! We are going to start off with the usual cone drills, swerve in and out, make sure to focus on agility and balances, you all know that the two walk hand-in-hand, NOW BREAK," Myoga bellowed as he blew the whistle and walked off to the side, being careful not to trip.

Kouga dashed off, his skates leaving a wave of ice shavings in his trail as he went. Inuyasha seemed distracted even though he was head to head with Kouga, he didn't really seem to care, probably because he knew he would get top placement. The other members followed close behind, but Sango stayed a little father back then the rest. She fastened her finger gloves securely and made sure her hair was straight.

This was her time to shine.

She had had time to think about her ordeal with Kagome and she decided to let it go for now. After spending the night clearing her head and using a couple of tissue boxes, her thoughts were only focused on what was ahead. The most important thing was getting to be near the top right now, and the top was what she was going to be.

She willed her legs to go faster, all her training with running gave her muscles the extra punch to them as she easily skated by the other team members, some of which were glaring at her, but she had one of the hugest smiles on her face.

Increasing her speed, the air resistance whipped through her hair and jersey as she weaved through the orange cones with ease, occasionally doing a jump and landing gracefully back on the ice with a dull scrapping sound only to get back to her original stance.

She saw Kouga and Inuyasha about 10 or 20 feet away from her and she found the two of them quite funny. While Kouga was concentrating on getting ahead and pushing himself faster, making it look like this was the Olympics, Inuyasha didn't seem the slightest bit concerned; in fact, his eyes kept trailing over to the empty stands.

Sango finally noticed that she was catching up to them and knew that this was her chance.

Crouching a bit lower, she forced her skates to an ultimate speed, her face already flushed from the cold arena air hitting her skin. It was only then did she notice something beside her. Thinking logically, she didn't turn her head to look at the person beside her for fear of breaking her concentration, instead she shifted her eyes for a quick glance.

She almost choked on her own saliva.

Miroku was in the same position that she was, his slightly longer legs racing quickly and his black hair constantly getting swept back away from his face as his gold earrings jingled in the self-created wind. Miroku had his eyes up ahead, but was skating with eased skill. He turned his head toward her and flashed a million dollar smile her way along with a wink before pulling slightly ahead.

Sango was furious. Not only was he trying to outrun her, but he was flirting with her at the same time! 'That dirty bastard, there is no way he is getting a two-in-one-deal out of me!!'

Sango drove her skates into the whitish blue ice and gained a lead on Miroku. She saw out of the corner of her eye that he had a surprised look on his face and she took advantage of it.

Sango knew that this was dangerous, but what the heck! It would be well worth it in the end. Putting her right skate behind her left, she quickly pivoted and ground the skate into the ice before lifting off of it and landing beside Miroku. Her previous years in ballet had really paid off. She smirked as she kept her skating strokes in sequence with Miroku's.

"Why Sango," Miroku acknowledged her as he had to raise his voice a bit over the sounds of all the other skates hitting the ice, "I knew you wanted me, but never did I image you wanted it _this_ badly," Miroku purred out seductively while waggling his eyebrows.

Sango glowered in utter rage and moved to follow through with her plan. They were now side by side and Sango smiled sweetly his way before laying out the big one. Lifting the foot closest to Miroku, she took it off the ice and swept it right in front of Miroku's blade.

Well, the plan was well thought out.

The problem is………….. It backfired.

Sango's blade got caught in a dent in the ice and she tripped. Everything went in slow motion, but Sango wasn't stupid. With her already trained reflexes, she blocked her face and scrunched her knees in attempt to let her lower body take most of the fall, but instead she landed face first into something soft and warm.

Sango was vaguely aware of the yelling in the distance as she focused her blurry eyes. The sight of a dark haired man sprawled out on the ice greeted her as she realized it to be…Miroku!

'Oh god, what have I done? This can't be happening'

Sango got up off of his chest and moved to take his hand. "Miroku…."

"Sango," he groaned as he used his other hand to hold his aching head. He sat up as the rest of the team started to come over to them.

"Miroku…" Sango said once again as she moved closer to him and released his hand to cup his cheek.

Miroku's eyes finally opened after the dull pained that exploded in his head died down. He looked over to Sango who was still holding his cheek tenderly. "What is it Sango?"

"Oh Miroku," she gasped, little glittery specks forming at the sides of her eyes, "You….you…….you…."

She slapped him.

"YOU ARE SO STUPID! WHAT KIND OF FUCKING IDIOT ARE YOU? DID I TELL YOU TO BREAK MY FALL!!" Sango screamed trying to cover up her worry for the boy. He had really scared her…but it _was_ sweet of him to break her fall…..

She suddenly felt something rubbing against her butt and her face started to darken as tick marks appeared on her forehead.

POW!

"Stupid lecher," she grumbled and folded her hands under her chest.

"Sangooooo," Miroku wined while clutching at his soar head, a bump already starting to form, "I swear I didn't touch your astounding female anatomy in any way."

"What the hell are you talking about," she hissed as she looked behind her.

And to her horror… her own skate was brushed up against her butt.

She slowly rotated her head around to look at Miroku who had just finished nursing the bump on his head and beamed her way. The glint in his eyes was unmistakably saying "I told you so". "See? I told you I had nothing to do wit-"

POW!

WHAM!

POOM!

Sango retied her skate and got up as everyone started to come over. "And that's for making me worry about you," she mumbled under her breath.

As Sango started to skate away hearing the distant moaning and groaning of pain from Miroku, she suddenly realized her worst fear. 'OH NO! This means that I can't even be an M.P.V. this year! I ruined my chances of making it to the top. Smooth move Sango, smooth move'.

Sango hung her head in defeat and made her way to the side of the arena to get a drink of water. She slouched over the side of the wall with the bottle in hand making it look like she was drunk.

--

_With Kagome_

The condensation forming off of the water bottle chilled her sweating palm as she steadily walked the streets. Kagome knew her way around; it was just the fact of his proposal that made her hands all the sweatier.

_I'll be waiting then…_

'He didn't really mean that, did he? I mean there is no possible way that he would be looking for me or anything.' Kagome stopped at a cross walk and waited silently as cars rushed by.

'What am I thinking? Christ Kagome, get a hold of your-self.'

Kagome pulled out the locket from under her shirt as the cross-walk sign lit up and she started to walk once again. She held it in her palm and used her right hand's fingernails to fiddle with the clasp but it would not open. She sighed and let it fall against her chest as she turned the corner.

The rink was a huge building, probably the size of two or three gymnasiums put together mainly because of the rink contained inside. Kagome blew out her breath in a whoosh and threw the now empty water bottle in the recycling. Making her way up the steps of the concrete building she once again let a small smile pass her lips.

'I'm coming.'

--

_Back at the rink_

The sound of skates constantly made a sliding and cracking noise as Inuyasha moved with Miroku at a reasonably slow pace supporting some of his weight. "You know Miroku……I think Sango went easy on you, don't you think?" Inuyasha smiled sweetly his way and shifted Miroku's arm that was around his shoulder. Miroku turned his bumpy and bruised head away from Inuyasha and grumbled something under his breath about "the dangerous beauties".

Inuyasha just shook his head and continued skating to the edge of the rink. He carefully pulled Miroku up to the side wall when he was almost shoved into the glass panels. He whipped around to find Kouga chuckling trying to cover it up with his gloved hand.

"What's the matter dogface, just give it up, you know I'm going to beat you anyway, so why not clear your name, and make way for mine?" Kouga was grinning like a mad-man and Inuyasha's face was darkening considerably.

"Bring it on………..Ookami."

Just then Miroku barged between them; his face was still swelling considerably and he had a large welt on the top of his head protruding from his short black hair. "You do know that Myoka is calling us over now don't you?" Miroku stated the question innocently and looked between both of them.

BAM!

"OUCH! Kouga, what was that for, you -" Kouga cut off the rest of his sentence by dragging him back toward Myoga , gliding steadily across the ice with a look of utter determination cast upon his face.'

Inuyasha let out a ragged sigh and decided to take one lap around the ring before returning to the center with Myoga and the rest of them. He knew he would beat them; Kouga was just a pompous ass who thought he was better than everyone else. Somehow, that didn't make him feel too much better. His eyes fixed themselves on the empty seats once again, slightly drooping with sadness.

'Besides, she didn't even show up-'

His thoughts cut short when a white figure caught his eye. Inuyasha tilted his skates to the side, making a skidding stop and focused his eyes in concentration.

His heart stopped, along with the rest of his body.

There, in the 3rd row and center, was Kagome, sitting innocently with her hands together and she was blowing them, presumably trying to warm herself and her hair was tied back, letting her bangs fall over her molten brown eyes as usual. Her eyes met with his and she smiled shyly raising one of her hands to wave at him.

No happiness could ever explode as big as the one in Inuyasha's chest at that moment.

He could only smile back at her in return and the words mouthed themselves upon his lips without even thinking.

'You came'.

She nodded in response and beamed down at him, a blush already starting to form on the bridge of her nose as she darted her eyes from him to the seat and back again.

His attention was disrupted by the sound of Myoga bellowing at Miroku for the injuries that he had received and not being "manly" enough to handle it. With a new found inspiration, he took one last glance back a Kagome who still held her smile. He skated quickly to the line of racers ready for the next training session and took his place beside Kouga.

Kouga was crouched down, almost touching the ice, ready to make a dash when the whistle would sound when Inuyasha took the same stance he had. Kouga turned his head and eyed him before smirking once again, "Ready to lose, mutt face?" But Kouga's smile was wiped clear off his face when Inuyasha returned the grin twice as big. "Keep you eyes on the prize Ookami; you never know when you'll be outrun."

"What the fuc-" The whistle blew off loud and clear as it ripped through everyone's ear drums and Inuyasha dashed off, the wind whipping his silver hair away from his face and his "#1" jersey billowing in the wind. Still, he kept a considerable pace; know that a certain girl was still watching from the stands…..

Kagome smiled spread through out her entire composure as she saw Inuyasha dash ahead. It also helped to know that he was as happy to see her as she was to see him. She also caught sight of Sango just ahead of Miroku though the two looked slightly neck and neck. She studied Miroku carefully seeing as how he had some sort of crazy grin on his face, but Sango looked like she was about to kill. 'Is it just me, or is Miroku playing around with Sango?' She laughed quietly to herself and continued to watch them, not really paying attention to the dim glow the diary and locket were producing.

She also didn't notice the dark figure in a black velvet cloak sitting in the back most rows in the shadows.

As Inuyasha and the other skaters took their third and final lap, he made his move.

He got up silently from his position from the stands and stealthily walked down to the third row, Kagome was all to engross in the game to notice.

Kagome's eyes darted, following the white blur that was trailing up ahead, when a rather cold hand gently closed over her mouth.

She didn't scream, though ice poured through her veins.

She didn't cry, for some reason, this hand was all too familiar.

The figure reached down, the hood still shadowing his face as he turned Kagome's head toward him, keeping the hand on her mouth. With his other hand he took the hood down from his face.

Kagome froze, eyes wide, and brown orbs dilated with utter terror.

He chuckled darkly, never taking his sheathed eyes off the young girl, having amusement and a sort of high off of her panic. His glasses glint a light blue obscuring the sight of his dark brown eyes. "I see it has been some time…Kagome sama."

'Oni..gumo…sama'

Her eyes darted all over his face, hoping this was a nightmare, that none of this was real.

But her eyes caught something in his stare. Delving deeply, there was something wrong. This was not the Onigumo she knew. Not the soft, considerate professor in her school, this…..this was a monster.

Kagome eyes immediately flashed with recognition as she narrowed them in hatred and anger and most of all, betrayal. Her hand closed around the wrist that was keeping her mouth shut and she pulsed in anger. Surprisingly, it did something….again.

Onigumo hissed in displeasure and drew his hand back.

"Naraku……" She growled as she clutched at her diary. "How could you? What have you done to him?" Her eyes became desperate, searching for some sign of her beloved teacher, somewhere deep within to revive him.

"Foolish girl," Onigumo smiled, his eyes turned a now entirely black color, with no pupils at all, making his eyes look a though they were an insects. "He had died long ago, I was only helping him, but enough of this, we shall begin the real…fun".

Before she could answer him, Onigumo smiled a delicate smile and from his velvet robe, pulled out a gun. Aiming the small handgun at the ice, he pointed it the center part of the rink. Kagome made to get away and knock the weapon from his hand, but he clutched at her and placed his other hand back over her mouth. "Watch as I turn this little party around so we will no longer have distractions".

_BANG_!

Screams filled the stadium and echoed off the walls as Myoga suddenly became alert in protecting his team. The ice was cracking rather quickly, and from the looks of it, if one player were to make a wrong move right near it….

"EVERYONE GET OVER HERE NOW!!"

The skaters came as quickly as possible, going over to the opposite side of the rink to escape the shot. It was questionable as to who would shoot the ice itself, why in the world would you do such a thing?

Myoga looked up and squinted at the far end of the rink, what was that thing in black? "What in the world is-?"

Inuyasha and Kouga both whipped their heads to the source of the sound being that their acute hearing was so accurate they had looked long before the others had ever heard the ice cracking. The two had been wrapped up in the threat that they both had not come near Myoga when he told them to and instead were looking up ahead.

Inuyasha focused his eyes on what had dared try to -

His blood froze and his mind stilled.

_No!_

Her brown eyes were dilated with fear as she desperately tried to free herself from the thing in velvet. Her cream colored hands were gripping his arm in anxiety and tears were glistening in her eyes.

"You shouldn't try to resist me Kagome sama; after all, _I'm always here to help you,_" Onigumo told her in a malice grin. He rose from his kneeling position, but took her with him. She stilled in his arms, not daring to move, but her mind was waging a battle.

_Use some sort of self-defense, you have done it before, you can do it again!_

_No, I cannot hurt him, I cannot do that to him…Onigumo sama… he is my-_

_Don't do this now Kagome, You know this is not Onigumo sama, it's only his body, he is only a puppet._

_I know that but…I cannot hurt him because-_

_Because why?_

_Because he..._

'Because he is like the father that I never got to keep.'

Kagome eyes softened and she blinked the tears back.

_I can't hurt him because he is the father I could never have, because he took care of me, too._

With her still held securely in his arms, he flicked the gun back, reloading it and kept it facing toward her. 'Ha, what a poor unfortunate soul she is, how easily she is deceived by this body, I would have thought she would be stron-'

_Crack!_

The gun was hurdled from his hand as some black foreign object nicked his thumb with perfect accuracy to have the finger broken, in several places in fact.

Kagome had closed her eyes when she felt the presence of something being thrown as she soon realized herself to be on the floor and out of Onigumos' grasp. With mild annoyance Onigumo turned his attention to the intervention.

Inuyasha's breathing was heavy and his eyes had darkened, leaving them to look like a saturated auburn. His body was rigid, perfectly frozen and not a muscle moving, but his arm was in the same stance as it had been when he had thrown the hockey puck with exact measurements and timing, making sure that it would be sure to hit the proper part of the man's finger to have the bones cave in. This would enable the gun to escape from his hand and he would not be able to use that appendage for at least a little bit of time.

He would not let _her_ be hurt.

Everything was eerily quiet and with the swiftest speed, Onigumo swept the hood over his features and turned to face Kagome. She whimpered on instinct and scooted back at little, afraid of what he was planning. Her diary was still safely in her arms, still giving off the dim glow.

Inuyasha anger sparked a thousand degrees and he did something he had never done before. Not even concentrating on the background noises of yells and screams, he was totally focused on one thing. With a swift movement he skated as fast as his legs would take him, and right at the edge of the crack he drove his skates into the ice with unimaginable force and jumped clear over the ice. Being of half demon decent helped him to keep his fluid movement in the air and hurdle himself toward the mysterious figure in the cloak. His eyes flashed with recognition.

'That can't be, can it? My eyes had to have been deceiving me back there. There is no way that could be Onigumo…right?!' Inuyasha shook his thoughts off though and was determined to get him.

But all the same, Onigumo was quick to his moves. Being that Naraku was once a demon as well; he knew how to maneuver, even if he was in a human body.

Inuyasha landed right in front of Kagome in a crouched position just as Onigumo had made his move and leaped back a bit. With lightning in his eyes, Inuyasha stood to his full height (not to mention the 1 or 2 inch leverage from his skates), as he growled very lowly, almost inaudible to the human ear and his eyes flashed dangerously, daring the man to make a move towards Kagome again.

"Inu…yasha," Kagome breathed as she stared wide eyed at the back of his form. 'He is…he is protecting me?!'

Onigumo chuckled lightly while slowly shaking his hood covered head back and forth. "How long will you wait...Siren?" Before any eyes could catch it, human or demon, he was gone with a flash.

'Siren?' Inuyasha sensed the presence of that figure to have disappeared and turned to face Kagome in concentration. "Kagome," he whispered softly bending down to her level. "Are you alright? What was he….what was he trying to sa-," Inuyasha cut himself off in the middle of his sentence. None of this was making sense, and what in gods name was a Siren? Inuyasha reached his hand out to brush the bangs from her face, but Kagome flinched away from his touch.

Everything was happening to fast in Kagome's eyes. Her mind was blurring with fears, regrets, and doubts. How could she have been so foolish? 'All this time, Onigumo sama was hurting and I didn't even know'. Now Naraku has taken control of him and there is nothing that can be done. Kagome leaned her head down, letting her black bangs hang in front of her eyes.

'I have even endangered the lives of innocent people because of this……..'

'I even risked Inuyasha's……'

"No!" Kagome stated softly but harshly moving herself further back and away from him, "I am…I am so sorry Inuyasha…" Without another word Kagome stood up and ran from him, clutching at her possessions and willing herself to get out of there, and away from other people.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled after her, but his voice was not taken into consideration by her ears.

This was her fight alone, and because of her simple stupidity she had brought others into it without thinking. The tears made their way down her cheeks, but she wiped them angrily with her sleeve, this was no time for weakness. Kaede had trusted her with a job and she chose to take it.

Stopping in a narrow alleyway away from people walking, she let herself sink to the floor clutching the book. The darkness of the alley shadowed her face as she let herself look up towards the sky. Tears glistened on the bottom half of her eyes she continued to stare up at the azure sky with the soft clouds resting right on the surface. Without her will in mind she let herself fall asleep as the hold on her diary slightly slackened.

--

_With Inuyasha_

"DAMN IT!" Inuyasha bellowed after he had already seen Kagome dash through the double doors of the rink. Without another glance back he ripped the skates from his feet and dashed after her.

'There is no fucking way she is going to leave without us!'

Sango watched wide eyed as her friend took off………with only socks on. 'WAIT JUST A MINUTE!'

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled. She had just watched the whole exchange with that scary looking thing and black. Besides she was also worried about Kagome just as much-

"There is no way I'm going to sit here and take this crap!" All eyes turned on Sango after her outburst, but she paid no mind. Without taking another minute of thought she tossed her half drunken water bottle behind her and pushed past everyone. With a graceful leap she got onto the ice and with lightning fast speed she sped away, the only sound was the sound of her skate at a remarkable speed. She jumped the crack with force like no other and jumped off the ice and threw her skates behind her as she took off through the doors.

'Kagome, I know what it feels like….but you can't do it alone'.

Miroku let a dangerous grin pass his lips as he saw both his friends take off. While everyone was still in shock he just slipped his skates off and ran the side of the rink off the ice and took off with nothing, but a simple "goodbye".

Myoga stood stalk still along with the rest of his discarded team and Kouga's mouth was half open beside him as they both had watched Sango take off. After a minute Myoga picked up his clipboard and flipped the pages. After putting the pen to his mouth for a minute and thinking ever so carefully he scribbled on one of the pages and wrote something down. Then turning his body ever so slightly towards Kouga he turned his head all the way up to look at him and grinned a malicious grin.

"It seems like we finally have the replacement for you."

--

_With Inuyasha_

Following the scent of Kagome he took off, just vaguely aware of Sango's scent and a slight trace of Miroku's as well. 'Good,' Inuyasha thought as he slipped through two people walking side by side and continued his run, 'they're worried too'.

Suddenly Inuyasha stopped dead and turned his head to the side, his gold auburn eyes pin-pointing towards a dark patch and a very narrow alleyway. Sango was just a touch behind him as he moved silently across the street and walked slowly toward the narrow space. Slipping through with ease he focused his eyes and bent down with a small smile. Lifting his finger gloved hand he brushed the bangs from Kagome's sleeping form as she was still in a sitting position, dead to the world.

'So she's alright'. A slight sound caught Inuyasha attention as he turned his head slightly to the left. Sango and Miroku were both standing side by side looking slightly flushed but they both were wearing identical soft smiles and he noticed them to be not staring at him, but the sleeping form of Kagome.

All of them met each others eyes in a silent three way answer.

'We are not going to abandon her'.

--

_At Sango's House_

It was a dim light that was Kagome was definitely seeing as she tried to focus her blurry eyes after waking up. She slowly made a move to get up and rubbed her eyes to focus her sight when she noticed she wasn't alone. She almost gasped when she looked closer. Sango was sitting across from her reading a magazine on a green couch that looked very new and Inuyasha was on the other side of it massaging his temples with his eyes closed. The boy…Miroku was also sitting on the floor by Inuyasha's feet and he seemed to be trying to ………..do cats cradle with a piece of red string?

Wow, talk about manly.

Kagome blinked once…then twice. In an instant everyone was up on her.

"KAGOME ARE YOU OK?"

"Did you hit your head?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Why did you run away?"

"…What color is you underwear?"

POW!

"Stupid lecher! Stop asking her those stupid questions!" Sango screeched as she turned back to Kagome.

"Wha-" Kagome tried to process her thoughts but everything was happening too fast.

"Sango……Inuyasha?" Kagome looked between all the faces as they calmed seeing that she was alright.

"Sheesh Kagome, you really had us worried!" Sango exclaimed as she went to sit beside Kagome on top of the blankets.

"I had you…worried?" Kagome questioned looking at her puzzled and then she immediately jumped. "Wait, oh my god I have to go…I have to find-"

"We know," Inuyasha interrupted sharply as he went back to the floor cross-legged. "Who the hell was that Kagome, and was there some reason why our _teacher's _scent was coming off of him?" Kagome gasped in utter horror, but Sango went to explain.

"Inuyasha has filled us in on what he thinks, and the rest I tried to fill in as well," Sango said looking deeply at Kagome.

"Kagome, we…….we are here to help you, I want to……I want to help in anyway I can……I believe you, about the ghosts," Sango finished softly and turned her head to stare at the ground.

"Sango is right," Miroku intervened as he went to sit in-between Kagome and Sango. "I have also heard what has been going on, and well frankly," he paused looking over Inuyasha and Sango for a minute, "we all are a team and when one of us helps……we all do without a second thought."

"You, you want to help me?" Kagome breathed as she stared at Miroku. They were all…..on her side? But how can this be? I thought that I had to do it alone, but they all want to help!

Noticing her internal battle, Inuyasha sighed. "Look Kagome, what ever the hell is going on, we're here too, so you're not by yourself." He turned his head to the side and his eyes glazed over as well. "I know what you've gone through. To be humiliated and mocked, ridiculed for who you truly are, and having no where to run but accept your fate head on." All eyes were on Inuyasha, but Kagome's were the widest.

'He! The Inuyasha has been mocked!'

"It's not easy being a half demon," Inuyasha said softly as his eyes locked with hers, ears slightly drooping. "When I was little, there was no place for me, I was half human and half demon, half weak, half strong, half power, bloodlust, and half emotional, and intelligence". Inuyasha paused to look down at his clawed hands with his slightly calloused palms. "Yea, I got beat up plenty of times, and for the longest time I despised my brother," Inuyasha's face twisted into hurt and his tone took on a stronger volume.

"All the time, when I used to get up by 5th graders, my brother would stand there with his school bag and watch, even when I called to him for help; he would just sit and stare as I was punched and kicked and never took his eyes off me once when I would cough up blood after they had finished with me". Inuyasha's hands were clenched into fists and his hair was obscuring his face as he said this.

"Inuyasha…I-," Kagome started softly but cut herself off. 'I never knew…..he went through all of this. And his brother? How….How could he, who could be so cruel to Inuyasha like that?' Kagome pushed her blankets aside and sank to the floor. Slowly, she crawled over to him on all fours, the locket securely hanging from her neck and twirling as she approached him and went to sit beside him. 'It's like ….what I went through is nothing compared to him.'

Without thinking she took his clenched fist in both of her cream colored hands, his dark peach colored ones contrasting against the white of hers. Inuyasha's head immediately snapped to look at her as a blush spread across his entire face.

"How could your brother just watch Inuyasha? Why would Sesshomaru do that?!" Kagome yelled loudly with a look of hatred on her face, but she was stopped when Inuyasha continued to talk. "That's not the end of it Kagome," he said bringing their eyes to lock once more. "When I got older, I found the reason why. Sesshomaru, he wanted me to become strong on my own, to fight for myself…so that I wouldn't be the weakling and one day, I would show them," Inuyasha said while letting a small smile pass his face. "And I did, I made my place and I showed them just how strong this fucking hanyou is". Kagome found herself returning the smile ten fold a voice cut into their moment.

"I hate to ruin this beautiful love festival, but ummm I think there is something we have to take care of," Miroku smiled widely when the both of them looked down at their intertwined hands and quickly untangled them and turned away blushing madly. Sango nudged him in the arm, but was still smiling as well.

"What about you Miroku?" All eyes turned to Kagome as already seemed to have come down from her embarrassment and was currently looking at Miroku. "What about your story…" Kagome trailed off and immediately put her hands up in front of her face. "I don't mean it as an offense or anything, but I thought that maybe, you know…since everyone else knows each other's ……" she trailed off, and looked away.

Miroku chucked sadly as everyone looked at him. His hair was hiding his midnight blue eyes and his earrings were glinting in the rooms bright light. "Kagome……my story is not really a positive one either." Miroku looked up only to look out the window and both Inuyasha and Sango stifled a gasp. Miroku was actually going to talk about his history? Even the both of them, who had been Miroku's friend for longer didn't know what was behind his story.

"I was born into a reasonable family, I really wasn't rich or anything, but I wasn't necessarily poor either. My parents were hardly ever around and traveled a lot around Japan, so I hardly ever got to see them, but when I did it was bliss."

Miroku smiled sadly as his eyes glazed and turned almost black with unshed tears. Kagome eyes glazed in return as she made a move towards Miroku in an attempt for comfort. "The night of April 15, my birthday, I got a phone call," Miroku's voiced wavered as he fought to keep his composure as Sango moved closer to him and took his hand and Inuyasha moved to sit on the other side of him.

"My parents died that night in a train crash only 500 miles from my house." Kagome put her hand to her mouth as a few tears escaped her eyes and Sango squeezed his hand and rested her head on his tense shoulder. "They had been coming home, all the way from northern Japan just to surprise me on my birthday, and I never……I never even got to say-" Miroku cut himself off as his hands balled into fisted and his face turned to desperation. "And you know the sickening part Kagome?" Miroku whispered as his eyes met hers and in that instant she understood where 

his pain and hurt was….that she was never alone in sharing it, that hers was distributed throughout all of these three people sitting in front of her.

"I was about to make my birthday wish for them to be with me." In that instant Kagome couldn't take it anymore. With her bangs covering her eyes she stood up silently as all three figures on the couch watched her silently.

"Kagome are you alri-," but Miroku never got to finish his question as Kagome suddenly lunged at all three of them and flung her arms around all three of their figures, hugging all three of them to her as she stuck her head in-between Miroku and Inuyasha. "You don't need to say anything more, I understand now," Kagome whispered as she buried her head deeper and her tears flowed freely. All three reactions were different in their own way, but got a real result. Inuyasha blushed a deep scarlet and slightly turned his head away mumbling a "feh", while using his other hand to try and wipe some of her tears away murmuring something about "it will be alright". Miroku blinked and smiled, half returning her hug and for once…his hands never had to think about wandering. Sango smiled and blinked back tears as let the words that everyone wanted to hear.

"We're here for you Kagome, we're your friends".

She finally understood that she wasn't alone, that even though things were still unclear, she still had them by her side. Whatever was to come they were all in this together. Kagome just nodded but never let go of the three of them, crushed all four of their bodies closer together.

"My…friends."


	9. Drowning in Air

**Chapter 9, Drowning in Air**

"I expected you here".

The sudden jolt of that ever so deep, elegant voice brought her out of her thinking, but she didn't turn around to face him, instead keeping her head facing front. Some wisps of her crinkled black hair fell from her perfect bun to shield her reddish pink swirling eyes, but she kept them solely trained on the green blue waters in front of her. This was her time of weakness, fragility, instability……

And _he _had to show up.

He always had that effect on her. Sometimes when they passed in the hallways, his gold, piercing eyes would rake over her form; in a way he knew would put her on the edge. His posture was always the same; straight and tall, broad shoulders squared off with the style of a god, like he ruled the floor he walked on. He was too beautiful for his own goddamn good…

Kagura snorted softly and moved her hand off the railing she was leaning on to brush some of her fallen hair back. "I'm always here. What makes you think I came here for you?"

She involuntarily shivered…she could feel his slight smile, even from the back. She could barely make out his soft footsteps until he was beside her, and he placed his smooth white hands on the railing. Somehow, the railing looked that much more disgusting and rusted when _he_ placed his hands on it.

"I didn't disrupt you did I? If I did, I'm _ever_ so sorry," Sesshomaru said lightly tapping his beautifully sharp claws against the railing, those nails even seemed to glint a bright sheen of tan in contrast to the cerulean ocean. Kagura turned her head away in disgust. 'I can't believe I was staring at his nails!'

He was so…URG! He just came in and disrupted her during her peace time when he knew he wasn't in the least bit welcome. It was always the same; every year since their freshman year of high school. She was the goddess. In the public's eyes, she was his equal, his opponent. They dominated their respective sides of the school, him mostly with the woman, and her… with the men.

But somehow, whenever they were alone, it was like she was the weak fragile girl that she had tried to kill inside herself from the very beginning. He had always seemed to strip off each of her arrogant layers, and leave her with her weak little barrier of a small girl; a small girl…who was trying to hold onto the past that didn't exist.

"Why don't we take a walk, Kagura? I think it would be good for you," Sesshomaru stated without looking at her, and gripped the railing lightly.

Kagura looked at him from the corner of her eye, his massively-long white hair was gently blowing away from his face, and his crisp button-down white shirt with three buttons undone, exposing his god-like beautiful chest-

Kagura coughed. _Extremely_ loud.

She stood straight, as much as her insides were hurting, as much as she knew that she could never _go for a walk._ "I can't," she felt herself whisper, "I want to stay here. This is my home away from home." She chuckled lightly at her own choice of words and focused her eyes on the ocean, the breeze sweeping her hair away from her face as well. 'Naraku you bastard; everything is your fault. I'm chained to you. I am your doll.'

Kagura eyes filled with tears and she blinked furiously, refusing to let Sesshomaru see her in a state of weakness twice. So she gave a watery smile, despite her anxiety. That's all she could do now. Things were moving quickly, Naraku was in motion, and she……she didn't have much time left. 'If I'm going to make a difference,' Kagura thought vehemently, 'then I better make it damn fast.'

Suddenly, a warm hand closed over hers and her head snapped over to their connected hands, even if she had made a silent rule never to show much emotion in his presence.

"Well if this is your home away from home…" Sesshomaru's voice brought her out of her gaze of their hands as she looked over to his face. He met her red-pink eyes head on and his gold orbs showed of utter satisfaction…

"Then it's mine too".

Kagura's breath hitched as he never tore his gaze from her. How could he-

He just told her that-

…this wasn't how-

But Kagura felt a smile tugging at her own lips, and before she could stop herself, she felt her body turning on its own, and levitating herself by her feet to face his body. She took one hand from the railing and used the other as leverage to reach to Sesshomaru's height. With her body reacting on its own, she placed her hand on his shoulder and lifted her head and tilted it slightly, her eyes half-closed. Her lips neared dangerously close to Sesshomaru's, but he neither encouraged the action, nor stopped it. His eyes were unreadable and just as she was about to touch those godly lips-

"_Eakk, Eakk"_

Kagura staggered back away from him; as if she had heard a bomb drop right next to them and whipped her head to the side to see what had disrupted their-_cough_-intimacy.

And what a joy…a seagull was sitting innocently on the railing next to them crowing away as if asking for food. Kagura mentally groaned and went to lay her head on the railing in an attempt to pretend that she just hadn't tried to kiss Sesshomaru.

On the other hand, Sesshomaru gave a tiny twitch of the mouth at seeing Kagura so deflated, and went back to staring at the stupid-looking bird. But somehow he could get the weird effect out of his stomach he had encountered just moments ago.

And it made him sick…

In a good way.

--

_With The Group_

"**WHAT!!"**

Birds flew from the trees outside as the sound of the yelling echoed throughout the neighborhood. But inside one individual house a certain hanyou was furious.

"So let me see if I get this straight," Miroku said with a look of irritation from seeing Inuyasha continuously pace the floor, "You are what is called……a Siren?"

"Yes," Kagome answered softly, but winced when Inuyasha's pacing back and forth became more frequent. Sango lifted her head off the rumpled couch and contributed to their discussion. "But isn't a siren…like one of those creepy woman that lured male sailors from their ships only to eat them like cannibals?" Inuyasha stopped his rugged pacing to let a shiver run down his back at that thought; about the same time Miroku suppressed the urge to cower in fear and play cats-cradle with himself. Kagome laughed quietly to herself at all their expressions, but inwardly let out a soft sigh.

These were _her friends_…

It was worth more than true love could ever come close to, and it was more valuable then anything in the world; that she had people she could trust.

And that's what made all the difference.

"A siren can have multiple meanings," she said, breaking everyone out of their ravine; "but in shorter terms, I am a messenger of the spirits, having the power to see them on middle ground when no one else can. I guess, in some ways I can provide protection…or a way of communication to the real world…like for instance, well………Kohaku."

Sango somewhat bristled at the abrupt memory of the car incident, where she had jeopardized everything with Kagome in that moment. In the deeper parts of her heart, she was blindly 

jealous of Kagome and her ability to be able to see Kohaku, to be able to talk to him. 'I would gladly risk my own life if I just had the chance to hear a word uttered from him, to just see his face…one last time.' Sango scowled and mentally kicked herself for saying those things. Kagome was knocking down solid walls in a heartbeat again, and it was really starting to piss her off.

As Kagome started her talking again, explaining the means of ghost and human communication Sango turned to stare at her once more, taking in the gentle features she always wore and impressed at how hard Kagome tried to keep herself standing when so many others had knocked her off her feet. 'She's better than any other person I could have asked for.'

"So all we must do now is figure out now where this Naraku ghost will be right?"

"It not that fucking simple Miroku! He's harboring himself in the fucking body of our chemistry teacher!"

There was a silent hush over the three other occupants of the room at Inuyasha's outburst. He hadn't really talked once when Kagome explained what Kaede had dictated to her. Everyone was a bit astonished that Kaede of all people would be the one to know about Kagome's powers, but let her continue with the story. When Kagome got to the part about almost being killed at the cemetery while visiting the grave of her father, Inuyasha had decided to stand up immediately and start walking around the room back and forth in a pattern.

Then when Onigumo can into the picture, things had gotten complicated. Kagome had admitted flat out that at the ice skating rink Naraku had shown his true colors from within Onigumo, that she couldn't get rid of his horrid ways as easily as she would have liked to. This came as probably the biggest shocker to the rest of the team.

"Inuyasha, please…I don't think you understand. You have to listen to me!"

Inuyasha whirled around to face Kagome looking just a bit peeved if not pissed off entirely. "What's there to understand Kagome? You think we can suck out some psychotic ghost from a suicidal teacher?!"

"That's just it Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. "Don't you see? Onigumo didn't want to live at all; he didn't care about himself or the world around him…all he cared about was…"

"Kanna," Sango supplied as Kagome's voice faded. Sango scooted closer to Kagome and awkwardly patted her shoulder when she saw little balls of tears form at the corners of her eyes. Truth be told, Sango wasn't all that familiar with comforting her girlfriends; in-fact, she was more of a soloist when it came to problems. Kagome looked up and smiled weakly at Sango for her attempt at comfort and Sango smiled uneasily back at her.

Miroku suddenly left the room and everything went quiet save for the rustling in the kitchen. Sango's shoulder was being used as a comfy pillow from Kagome's head and Inuyasha sat on the far side of the room stubbornly staring out the window; his eyes showing enough anger to take 

out a heard of elephants. Hard foot steps on the floor sounded and Miroku zipped into the room with a triumphant grin on his face. Kagome lifted her head from Sango's shoulder and looked up at him. "Miroku?..."

"You guys aren't the only ones who have been working on this you know. Where you even aware of who exactly Kanna's sister might be?"

Sango blinked several times. "What are you talking about Miroku?"

If possible his grin got even wider. "What do you say guys? How about we take a visit to someone who might have some of the answers for us?"

Everyone in the room had there attention on Miroku now as he slowed pulled a sheet of paper from behind his back.

Under the Japanese symbols for "_Student Information Database_" a picture shown in black and white of a neatly poised girl. Her hair was kept neatly swept away from her face and she wore dangling earring that seemed as though they matched with her eyes even if there was no color in the picture. After the small amount of information given on her profile, a name was revealed…

_Kagura._

--

_With Kagura_

'Remind me never to run an errand again.'

Kagura waited impatiently at the cross walk with a bunch of other ningens who seemed to be quite patient. 'If she wanted these groceries she could have gotten them herself! Damn that stupid bitch.' Exhaling slowly while counting to ten she smoothed out her knee length skirt and tapped her foot on the cemented ground. The little sign glowed with the white stick figure indicating to start walking and she immediately pushed past the other pathetic people to walk at the front of the line.

When she reached the other side a flash of light caught her eye in a near by alleyway and she slowed somewhat with the grocery bag resting in both her hands. Mentally shaking her head for worrying about it she started back up only to find the light flashed once more making her realize that it wasn't just a mishap. To keep herself from looking weird she casually made her way over the alleyway and stopped by the wall right outside of it. Gently, she placed the bag of groceries by the ground and bent down to adjust one of her high-heeled boots. Something was up with this alleyway and she wasn't as to be so stupid to walk right down there. But before she could so much as turn her head to see what the source of the light was she was grabbed around the stomach and whipped into a near by cove.

"Kagura…we were looking for you…"

The bricks of the cove dug into her shoulders and she kept her breathing under and decent amount of control. The light was barely visible here but she could make out the sounds of people continuing to walk and the figure standing before her was obviously young from the build and the voice.

Whoever was right in-front of her was going to die.

Kagura closed her eyes and let a coy smile dance across her mouth. This would be all too easy. Plus, it had been a long while since she had kicked a human's ass.

"How nice of a human to _capture_ me; I was really expecting some company, but you did the honor of coming straight to me…"

Suddenly a flash of light blinded her and she slammed her eyes shut and turned her head away. With her hands shielding her eyes she tried to look through it to the person who held the light. "Who the hell…."

"Hey Kagura……it's been awhile, hasn' it?" It took a few moments for Kagura to adjust to the lighting. Squinting, she took a closer look and drew back in shock while almost slamming her head back into the bricks.

"I-Inu- Inuyasha!" 'What is Sesshomaru's little brother doing here?!'

"In the flesh," Inuyasha drawled as he took a step closer whilst holding the flashlight in his other hand.

Suddenly, a hand came to rest by her waist and she immediately snapped her gaze to another young man's face. His fingers dipped slightly lower past her waist and her hand shot out to squeeze his finders tightly. His face dipped slightly and his bangs were shielding his eyes from view as his breath brushed across her pointed ear; "I do believe we have met as well, don't you?"

He whispered it in such a way that it came out husky and was made to make your face heat up and you skin tingle, but Kagura knew better than that shit. He was obviously experienced in the ways of getting to a girl. His other hand continued the trek that he was going for and was now positioned dangerously low on her hip.

Scratch what she had first planned; **this**guy was going to die.

Before she could make her move he was ripped from her and she could hear yelling from what suspiciously sounding like another woman. 'What the fuck?!'

"You dumb ass, Inuyasha is supposed to talk to her, not you molesting her!"

"But you don't understand Sango…this is 'Kagura'. I mean THE Kagura lovely vix-"

"You face isn't going to be so lovely in a fucking minute if you touch anything else on her body!"

"….What about your body?"

"SHUT IT YOU MANSLUT!"

Unexpectedly, a lamp was turned on from above her and it took a few moments of it's flickering to completely turn on, and even then it was very dim.

"Kagura, we need some information out of you, and we're not going to waste your time or our own. So start talking. Why has Naraku taken over Onigumo's body? And what do you know about Kanna's relations to the jewel?!"

"Well wouldn't you like to know Inuyasha," Kagura sneered and pushed herself off the wall. In the brighter light she could now see the boy that had come on to her and immediately made the connection. 'So that's Miroku…the guy who worships the art of conning women.' Kagura ignored the woman who seemed to be strangling him, but did not fail to noticed that she was also another one of those hockey jocks.

"Please Kagura-sama this could mean life or death right now!" Kagome head popped out from behind Inuyasha as she whispered it almost pleadingly. Kagura was their only help at this point and she had a feeling that Naraku was on the move. She couldn't let him get to the jewel before her.

Kagura whirled her head over to Kagome and backed up into the wall. She felt like she had been bitten by a snake. Her mouth worked soundlessly for a minute before choking out an almost inaudible word along with a shaking finger pointed towards Kagome.

"The Siren…" 'How can this be? How could the Siren have come right here with them? That means that Naraku will be here soon. No! This can't be happening.'

"Oh surprise, surprise," Inuyasha sarcastically stated but made sure to keep himself between Kagome and Kagura. Kagura obviously knew of Kagome and he would be damned if she were to come anywhere near her.

"Well then…you want to know about my sister and that precious jewel?" Kagura scoffed as all of them intentionally moved closer. She took a minute to close her eyes then reopened them with a wicked glint. "You are not going to find much. You must have talked to Kaede-baba already then, have you not?" Kagome gasped and unconsciously gripped Inuyasha's shirt, but he only scowled at Kagura. Kagura snorted and shifted to cross her arms under her chest and lean against the wall. "Figures, she only knows as much as her old brain can handle. She doesn't know where Naraku will strike next; but you better keep you eyes peeled. Especially you Kagome-_chan_"

"Don't speak as though you know her!" Inuyasha yelled, but inside was feeling anxiety creeping through his veins. Would Naraku try and attack Kagome again?

"Humph, I'm just trying to be of help Inuyasha-_chan_. Just know that Naraku can't crawl farther than you can walk in this. Whatever evidence you gain of the jewel he will do his best to be right on your trail, but never ahead of you." Kagura lifted herself off from the wall and pushed past Sango to start walking away when Kagome jumped out from behind Inuyasha's protection.

"What about Kanna, Kagura-sama?!"

"Kanna…" Kagura whispered softly into the cool air. She let a small smile cross her lips and rested her chin on her chest for a moment. "Kanna is looking for something that she will never find in this middle ground."

"…Peace?" Kagome whispered as she felt the urge to reach out and comfort Kagura, but drew her hand back in embarrassment.

"No," Kagura let a small laugh escape her; along with the pain of a little girl locked deep inside her trying to claw her way out,

"A family."

"Kagura-sama…"

"You best take a look at Kanna's journal you hold Kagome. It should be of use to you right about now." Kagome looked down at the small shoulder bag she had over her shoulder carrying the diary trying to decipher Kagura's meaning, but by the time she looked up Kagura was already making her way out of the alleyway and into the dimming sun. The four of them remained in the alleyway stunned into silence over what had just occurred, but none of them made a move other then light breathing in the form of white smoke because of the chilly air.

"Guys…"

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango snapped out of their stupors to turn and face Kagome, but immediately noticed she was kneeling on the ground crouched over something. All three of them ran to her side at once and kneeled down as well to completely circle the object, making all four of them hover over it. Miroku squawked in fright at once and backed off a bit.

"It's……It's glowing!"

Low and behold, Miroku wasn't the only one who was seeing it with his own two eyes. Kagome's diary was giving off an astonishingly bright glow and seemed almost, enchanted.

"My god…has it done this before Kagome?" Sango asked quietly as she studied the book carefully. She leaned slightly closer and could feel the light from the glow give off warmth 

which brightened her face's features and made her magenta eye shadow turn a light pink color in the bright light. Kagome shielded her eyes, but kept her face close to the book as well. "Yes, it has, but never this bright before, and Kanna was in the room with me in the time that it happened."

Inuyasha's eyes darted around the cove for good measure just to make sure there was no sign of any mysterious ghosts popping out…not that he could see them, but the impulse to check was still there. With a check for the coast being clear, he joined his friends in making a circle around the book when suddenly the bright light multiplied. Everyone jumped back at the amount of the shine pouring from the book and shielded their eyes.

"W-What's happening to it!?" Sango cried. Then it happened.

The book burst open blinding everyone with a flash of white light and they all watched in fascination as the book flipped its own pages; all of which had a bluish tint. With her hand shielding her face, Kagome smiled brightly. "This may be it guys, I think that Kanna is trying to communicate with us again!"

"My god," Sango breathed as she moved closer to the book seeing it busily flip through its own pages as if trying to find the exact spot. "So Kanna is communicating with us right now?" Miroku asked from behind Inuyasha, who inwardly rolled his eyes at Miroku's cowardly ways.

"Yes it seems that way," Kagome whispered quietly and cut off whatever she was about to say after that when the book suddenly stopped at a blank section. All four crowded around the diary and watched as black Japanese characters once again started to paint themselves upon the blue glowing pages. With a dull whisper all four of the friends read the text in unison;

_Silver fog leaks from the steam,_

_The puddle water drips a delicious blue,_

_Flames lap at the water's edge while drinking in the salty liquid,_

_For forever the ball will fall on the eastern side,_

_Remember the broken wings,_

_Remember the black hole,_

_Forget the sound of worry,_

_And find your precious jewel._

The diary's bright light died out and faded so they were left in the dark alleyway to figure out their passage.

--

_With Kagura_

The sound of her own beating heart was all she could hear now. The sun was setting, and the color of the buildings and light signs were smeared with pink and orange.

'He's going to be on my trail.' Kagura was panting as she ran through the streets; her grocery bag had long been forgotten back at the edge of the alleyway and she had taken off her high-heeled boots to get better leverage for running. Naraku was going to be _very_ mad.

But it didn't matter anymore.

'I have given the information that the four of them needed. It's up to all of them now; I did my part.' Turning in another street, she stopped against a wall and leaned one hand on the brick surface as she tried to catch her breath. Placing a steady hand on her heart as her chest heaved; she lifted fiery red eyes to the setting sun in the distance.

"It is time."

A black shadow covered her figure and with widened eyes she watched the shadow engulf her frame, but dared not turn around.

"Yes, it is time Kagura. Tell me where she is."

"Never Naraku," she spat the name out like acid. "I am done with this nonsense; I am tired of being your messenger. It doesn't even matter now. The Siren already has the information she needs…and people to protect her."

"BITCH," he roared and his hand shot out to grab her neck and slammed her into the nearest alleyway. Hidden in the shadows his smile widened when her hands circled his wrist trying to wrench free from his stone grip on her neck.

"You thought you could get out of this unharmed; think again. I am not as weak as you take me for Kagura. I may need this shit-faced host for a body, but that does not deter my spirit, you fool. Ha, you actually thought that I would spare you in the end; even after all you have told that Siren? You are a stupid one indeed Kagura."

"No," she rasped out as he tightened his hold upon her neck, "It is you who is the fool Naraku. She will get there before you. She will get the jewel. She will save us all."

"Pitiful," Naraku scoffed and with his other hand reached into his dark robe and pulled out the small hand gun. He cocked it back with the same hand, reloading it with a click and positioned it at the side of her temple. He smiled maliciously. "How does it feel Kagura? You're about to be killed by the same teacher who chose your beloved sister over you. How did that feel at the orphanage? Knowing that even your sister who was a mute found a home before you did; that she didn't even try to help you when she left."

"You know nothing," Kagura yelled and tightened her hands against his wrist. "Kanna always wanted what was best for me, and I her. I loved her!"

"Your time ends now. Say your last words Kagura." His glasses were tinted at the edges in a bright orange and his eyes were livid as he looked upon her.

Just looking at his face was all the heaven she could ask for.

'Your eyes always did betray you Naraku. You know you're going to die; and at the hands of a 17 year-old girl. If I go down, I swear to you; you will go down as well.'

"Burn in hell Naraku."

_BANG!_

"Kagura," a deep firm voice bellowed from somewhere in the distance as she clutched at her chest and tiny rivulets of blood soaked through the cotton of her shirt. She slid dazedly to the floor still clutching at her chest, her breath coming in uneven pants.

"You. Will. Pay." Sesshomaru's eyes became narrower with each subtly controlled word of rage that left his mouth. His chest was not even heaving from the exertion he had to endure while running a 5 mile distance to where he sensed Kagura in a state of danger. "Naraku…"

"My, my, my; it seems that Kagura has another body guard now," Naraku chuckled under his breath when he saw Sesshomaru raise two glowing fingers. "Don't bother; your, shall I say…_beloved_ doesn't have much time left."

Sesshomaru's mouth quirked upward, much to his surprise. "And this is coming from a weak little spirit who can't fight by himself?"

Naraku's eyes flashed dangerously as the hand that contained the gun tensed. "You don't even know who you are talking to…"

"Kagura is twice the person you could ever hope to be; and if she may die, it will be with honor. But you on the other hand…you will die a pitiful death knowing all along that you couldn't even stand on your own two feet." With that Sesshomaru lept up from his position on the ground and bounded back down gracefully ready to deliver his blow.

Sesshomaru struck and a brilliant flash of green pooled on the ground dissolving it into a hole of concrete. "Damn," he muttered releasing his fingers from the ground. "That bastard will die." The alley turned eerily quiet now and the only sound there was a cross between a cough and a gag.

'Kagura!'

In a flash he was kneeling in front of her with a hand on his knee. "We will go to the hospit-"

"No," Kagura gasped out with much difficulty. "No, Sesshomaru I can't. This is the way things have to be. You must understand." Her voice was quiet and every word had a raspy edge to it.

He was right; she didn't have much time left.

The hand that had been resting idly on his knee came up to tilt her chin up. Her red eyes were wide open and darkened with the pain she was enduring. Her forehead was glistening with perspiration and the rest of her face to unnaturally pale. A tiny river of blood was already flowing from the corner of her mouth and dripping onto her already soaked shirt.

She never looked more beautiful in his eyes than at that exact moment.

With the same hand that tilted her head up, he moved his thumb across her lower jaw to smudge the trail of blood but he tensed when her long fingers nimbly found their way to his hand and grasped hold of it. It was quite a contrast; he noticed it at once. Her hands were clammy and sweaty and so very much cold compared to his warmer ones.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft chuckle that was laced with pain; "What is so funny?"

"Hhm," Kagura pressed her lips together and looked at his through clouded eyes. "I was just thinking about that time at the pier; when I had tried to kiss you."

Now Sesshomaru knew he was tensing up.

"That damn bird really did ruin everything," she muttered with a small smile.

"I-I never got the chance to actually-" Kagura cut her self off and leaned forward. As much as her aching muscles screamed at her for the movement; she couldn't help herself. Through all the pain and suffering, she thought there was no one out there left waiting for her. And she had been right.

Sesshomaru was just an exception to that rule.

And right now there was no where she would rather be…than dying right in the arms of him.

In that instant she closed the remaining distance and her lips pressed firmly to his. The hand that had been grasping his fingers on her face gently held the hand more firmly as she kept the light contact with him. He was the only link she would ever have to this world. Sesshomaru's eyes remained open but half closed in realization.

She was going to die.

With his other hand, he cupped the other side of her face but still kept his eyes open. He hadn't been able to save her. But at least he was here when she left this world. His equal, his enemy, his partner, his shred of caring. These were all parts of his that would stay with her forever. It was his parting gift to her; to say the least.

Slowly but surely she drew back away from his lips and leaned back against the hard wall. Her hand slowly came up and cupped the side of his face and she idly traced a red nail over the side of his pale cheek. He saw something in her eyes that he had never seen before; and emotion that was very new and didn't exist in his world.

"You are the most selfish egotistical asshole I have ever encountered in my natural born life Sesshomaru." Her smile never left her face as her hand started to lose its function and slipped further down his cheek;

"But I could never imagine anything better than me dying with you right here beside me."

Her eyes slipped closed and, as if in slow motion that red finger-nailed hand slowly fell from his face and down to the ground. Her head fell from its upright position and her chin touched her chest, but the smile never faded from her face.

Sesshoumaru bent his head; his neat bangs obscuring his eyes as he held her lifeless hand.

"May you rest in a very well deserved peace Kagura."

--

_With the group_

"But what does that mean?"

"I have no idea," Sango sighed in response. The sun was close to setting and there was an unnatural flow of pinks and purples streaming all over the sky. It really was a sight to see.

"If only this fucking this wasn't so hard to decipher!" Both Inuyasha and Kagome were huddle around the book trying to figure out the message and Miroku had gone back to looking over his shoulder every few minutes to see if a very angry and psychotic chemistry teacher was going to pop up and strangle him.

Talk about being brave…

"Let's take it apart then," Inuyasha signed and once again looked at the Japanese characters.

_Silver fog leaks from the steam_

"A boat!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "A boat contains steam and usually a large number of them make the sky turn a foggy or silver-ish color."

_The puddle water drips a delicious blue_

"A puddle…" Inuyasha whispered his eyebrows lowered with deep thought. "A deep blue color of water could only come from something like the ocean. The only body of water around here could be the ocean, and when it rains the gutters usually leak into the ocean from the houses close by."

_Flames lap at the water's edge while drinking in the salty liquid_

"A flame can't be held up to water without extinguishing it, and it needs to be aflame for it to 'lap' at anything. It has to be something that looks like its touching water. Some sort of makeshift fire that doesn't need to touch the water to look like it's drinking...THE SUN!" Sango shouted the last part in a bit of triumph.

_For forever the ball will fall on the eastern side_

"Yes… can you see?" Sango whispered. She pointed out towards the setting sun. "The sun…it's setting in the east."

_Remember the broken wings_

"The sign," Miroku voiced his thoughts suddenly coming to terms with the clue. "Guys! The sign near the ocean…you remember when we passed by that strange old shop! The sign had broken and was bent sideways with the pairs of wings on it. That was near the ocean…I'm sure!"

_Remember the black hole_

"Now I see…" Miroku leapt up from his spot near the wall. "Kagome! You remember when you told us Kaede's tale with Kanna? How she had seen Kanna soul ripped from inside her right. She had disappeared in what looked as though it was a _black hole__**!**_"

_Forget the sound of worry_

"My god," Kagome breathed. "It was…really silent that night…when Kaede had seen it happen."

_**And find your precious jewel**_

Kagome eyes snapped open so wide they felt like they were watering and she stood up abruptly. Inuyasha looked up from the book to watch her with worrying eyes.

"Let's go." Kagome took off running right in the direction of the setting sun and the ocean with her determination twofold.

"Wait Kagome," Sango shouted as all three of them where by her running along side her in a matter of seconds.

"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked her as he switched his place to running next to Kagome and hoister her up by the back of her legs to rest bridal style in his arms. Kagome didn't seem to take all that much notice as she had her eyes straight ahead on the red and orange burning ball of fire.

"The harbor."

--

_At the harbor_

With Kagome safely tucked in his arms, Inuyasha ran through narrow alleyway after narrow alleyway with Sango and Miroku in tow. When they exited the last of alleys a blast of bright orange light blinded their vision after running so long through the dark. With one hand providing a shield over her eyes, Kagome looked over the huge ocean and narrow dock with wooden panels that went out about 500 feet away from the harbor. The sun was huge in the background; it was making the water glitter with white sparkles. There was not a single soul there excluding herself and her other three friends of course.

It really was a most wonderful sight to see.

Inuyasha gently let Kagome down and made sure she was not going to fall from her dazed expression of the setting. He noticed it too; everything really was beautiful here.

But some things were more important right now.

Kagome knew what she came here for and with total determination she lifted her small shoulder back off herself and set it down on the ground. She gently took out the diary and tucked it securely under her arm.

It all ends now.

With confident steps she walked straight over the rickety and thin dock. The wood creaked under her shoes and the some of the beams had gone rotten from not being taken care of properly. There were no railings to hold onto out here and Kagome could feel the wind blowing from the tides. The smell of salt was heavy in the air as her steps slowed when she felt the beams of the dock sink slightly. Turning her head she saw the one thing she would thought she would never come to see.

All three of them; Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku were all balancing themselves on the narrow rotten wood of the platform and following close behind her. Miroku smiled seeing that Kagome had stopped up ahead with a surprised look on her face. "What?" Miroku asked with a grin, "you didn't think we where going to leave you to do this alone, did you?"

Kagome could feel the tears of joy swell in her eyes but she brought her head back around before they could catch a glimpse of them.

'For all it was worth…I am glad to be by theirside.'

As they all reached the edge of the pier, Kagome shuffled forward and looked down at her reflection in the water. The water was a solid blue and there was no way you could see through it unless you where under that sheen, cold liquid. Kagome kneeled at the edge and held her diary straight out in front of her. With her eyes looking straight into the sun the molten gold and red clashed against her bright honey eyes.

"So…this is where the jewel is then. But…how do you know Kagome? We could be wrong," Inuyasha stated softly as he watched her while she stared at the sun. Miroku and Sango were also on the edge. Something was very strange about this place.

Without moving the position of her hands on her diary Kagome looked over her shoulder and gave all three of them a weak smile. "Let's just say I have a feeling…"

With a deep breath she looked back into the water.

_Please, Kanna, Kagura, Kaede, Shippo, mother and father… friends, give me strength. Give me the strength to find this jewel and destroy it so this evil will be no more. I beg of you. Have faith in me!_

With her eyes closed Kagome let the diary slip from her finger and plunge into the depths of the water below. Kagome opened her eyes to see the black cover become hazy in the blue depths and then disappear from sight.

All three of her friends gasped.

"Kagome why did you-"

A flash of purple light burst from underwater and shined brightly all making them step scurry back a bit in alarm. Inuyasha pulled Kagome from her kneeling position back into his arms and made sure to put himself between her and the bright purple beacon of light.

"Please," Kagome whispered and everyone's attention was drawn back down to her. "You must have faith in me. I must go down there. The jewel is at the bottom and I am the only one who can see it."

"Finally, it is here!"

All four of them looked up in alarm to see Onigumo's form right in front of them looking appreciatively and lustful at the beam of light coming up from the water. "So you really did turn out to be of some use didn't you, Siren."

"Naraku…" Inuyasha growled low in warning making sure to place his hand in front of Kagome. They where in trouble this time though and Inuyasha knew it. He had no weapon of sorts to defend himself or Kagome, the only protection being his own body.

Onigumo whipped around his eyes entirely black with no pupils once again looking thoroughly insane. "And just what are you going to do hanyou?" From inside his robe he pulled out his small hand gun and aimed right at his form. "You cannot save anyone this time. One shot and you are as good as dead. Besides, it's not like I need the Siren any longer either. She had already revealed the location to me!"

The gun was pointed straight at Inuyasha's chest and Kagome could feel her blood roaring in her ears."

'no'

_We're your friends_

'No'

_We're in this together_

'NO'

_We are not going to leave you behind_

"NOOO" Kagome screamed and shoved Inuyasha's arm out of the way and barreled herself straight into Onigumo's body. Naraku didn't have time to react as the gun he was holding dropped and he fell backwards with Kagome right beside him. All that Kagome heard was the thunderous sound of water in her ears as she felt herself sinking deeper into the cool depths of the ocean. The freezing water was like a thousands needles pricking her skin, but she paid no mind. Opening her eyes with great difficulty she turned her head slightly to see Narku trying to get his bearings back.

He must have forgotten the workings of the human body.

_Inuyaha_

_Sango_

_Miroku_

'You were all so good to me. You all protected me in some way or another. Now it is my time to protect you.'

With power she didn't even know she possessed Kagome opener her fist so her palm was spread wide and purple light glowed from her palm. Kagome's eyes opened wide in surprise. 'This is 

the exact same thing that happened when I was at my father's grave. I-I can try…I-I can try to kill him with this.'

Kagome turned and her hair was floating all around her, but she paid no mind.

_And this is for you…Onigumo sama_

With all the might that she had, Kagome brought her hand back and slammed it forward straight into Onigumo's chest and the bright light exploded around them.

_May you perish in hell Naraku!_

His face contorted into pain and he looked as though he was having a heart attack. His eyes rolled back into his head and black smog lifted from Onigumo's body and started to form into a ball inthe purifying light around her and Onigumo.

_Curse you siren-_

And then his soul ripped up in the remaining light as Kagome watched. Turning back, she saw Onigumo's still form continuing to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Kicking in the water to propel her, Kagome swam closer to Onigumo's body intending to take him back when suddenly a bright white figure emerged and seemed to be cradling Onigumo's head in her lap.

It couldn't be…

Kanna!

Kagome swam beside them and treaded under the water. Kanna had a soft smile splayed across her lips as she finger-combed Onigumo's hair.

'Kanna,' Kagome thought.

Kanna took her glowing hands off of Onigumo's hair and turned to face Kagome. Cupping her hands together something bright appeared in between them and Kagome treaded backward a bit in shock.

'The jewel!'

_Thank you Kagome chan. You have save my Onigumo's soul and put Naraku to his death. I am so thankful_…

Kagome smiled a slow smile and saw the jewel glow brightly. Her smile faltered a bit when her eyes drifted over to Onigumo's lifeless body.

_Kanna…take care of Onigumo sama will you. _

_Of course, he will be safe from now on. Thank you…for everything._

With hesitant hands Kagome took the jewel from Kanna and studied it in her palm. The second the small glass ball hit Kagome's palm the jewel grew a bright white and cracked in thousands of places only to blast apart and into thousands of tiny crystal shards. They sparkled all over the place and Kagome saw that they illuminated the dark sea. Then, unexpectedly the shards started to dissolve away into nothing; the sparkly dust making the ocean become dark once again. Unable to resist, she looked at Kanna and Onigumo once more. It might have been her imagination or the haziness in the dark, but Kagome swore she could see a hint of a smile on Onigumo sama's face.

It was only then that Kagome registered the urgent need to breath. Her lungs suddenly felt like they had been crushed and stomped on and she immediately turned and hauled her body up kicking frantically. The father she got up, the lighter the dancing patterns were at the top of the ocean. With one last final kick from her legs she burst from the sea as her hair formed a halo around her. By now she was panting and shivering and back into reality.

"Kagome!"

"There she is!!"

"Kagome are you alright?"

Kagome registered the sound but was barely able to keep herself upright. Drawing in deep droughts of air, her chest heaved and she finally turned around to see all three of her friends crowed at the edge of the pier holding out their hands. Kagome smiled and waded forwards to take one of the hands and it pulled her out as she collapsed on the edge of the pier. Warm hands pushed her into an upright position and she felt herself leaning into someone's embrace. When opening her eyes, she saw that it was Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha…"

Worry was written all over his face and he had taken off his outer jersey to wrap her in it. Her held her tenderly with a hand pressed at the small of her back and she realized was being cradled. She smiled at that thought.

"Kagome you had us all so fucking worried! Who the hell are you to say you can just go diving in after some psycho? He could have shot you, or even worse he could have drowned you! I was trying to go after you but these two dolt heads said it was something that you had to do by yourself."

"They were very right," Kagome breathed as she snuggled further into Inuyasha's warm cacoon. "It's all done now. We don't need to worry anymore."

"And the jewel-"

"Is broken and will never be seen or heard of again," Kagome sighed answering Sango's question as she tucked her self further into Inuyasha's warmth. He responded by tightening the jersey on her.

"What about Naraku?"

"He's dead," she said simply squinting up at them. Her eyes were stinging now and she had just realized how long she had them open in salt water.

Miroku turned to look at the dark sea below. "What about Onigumo sama?"

Kagome smiled and squinted as she watched the remained of the sunset. "He's finally found his family."

Kagome turned her head to look up at Inuyasha through heavy lidded eyes and he gently took two clawed fingers and shut her lids. With the feeling of fatigue and happiness wrapping around her like a blanket, Kagome buried herself into Inuyasha's safe arms and smiled as she feel asleep. Beside her and Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango sat watching her with half lidded eyes and caring smiles. Miroku timidly took one of Kagome's hands into his own and Sango leaned over Kagome and brushed her wet bangs away from her face.

'She's right,' Sango thought as they all watched the last remaining light of the sun go down. 'She has really put everything to peace.'

Out of the corner of her eye she studied Miroku's midnight hued eyes had new twinkling to them in the light of Kagome's friendship. Inuyasha had become that much more caring and his emotions seemed to come into play that much more freely. And herself? She was just happy to share the attention with someone who was unimaginably like her.

'Yes Onigumo…you may have found your family…'

Sango smiled beautifully up at the darkening sky.

'But so have we.'

End.

Yay my kiddies! My little sweet tale is finito (if that's how you say finished in some language) But do not fear because and Epilogue will be near! Ok, that was kind of gay, but yea, there will be one more small chapter, but this is as big as it gets. Thank you to all my readers and my reviews. And of course a pat on the back for me for a job well done 'pats my head' Thank you all so much!


	10. Epilogue: Into the Memory

**Epilogue, Into the Memory**

_Six Years Later…_

The light from the window streamed down into the bedroom illuminating the blue sheets as a small figure squirmed under the blankets.

"_KYYYAAAA!! GET UP NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL YOUNG MAN!!"_

"Whaa…" a head of hair popped out from under the covers looking sleepily up at the ceiling. 'Who is making that entire racket?'

Yawning sleepily, he turned on his side and gazed lazily at the clock that displayed 8:50 a.m. Wait a minute…

8:50 A.M.!!

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS FURRY!" He jumped out of bed quickly and pulled on a fresh uniform and stormed down the stairs just to hop into his shoes. 'Whew, close one," his eyes darted from side to side in attempt to see if anyone had already been downstairs. 'Now if I can just get into the kitchen…'

"**Stop**. Right. There."

His hand was poised over a particularly delicious looking orange; his body had frozen in place and if you looked close enough you could probably see a shiver go all the way down his vertebral column.

'Crap.'

"This really had to stop you know; it's like a continuous thing with you. I thought you were responsible enough to get up on your own by your alarm clock. I did buy that thing for a reason you know!"

"I know," his eyes were downcast; the orange was long forgotten as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other guiltily.

"- you have responsibly to do things. What is going to happen when you go higher up in your education? Are you going to be late for class then too? I mean I-"

"I'm sorry mom," he said softly.

The ranting almost immediately dispersed as she looked upon her son with soft eyes. Ruffling his orange-red hair she pulled him to her in a tight hug and whispered into his hair. "I love you Shippo hunny, just be careful at school." Shippo smiled into his foster mother's chest and pulled 

back from her vice grip. The 11 year-old boy grabbed his backpack off the counter and turned to face her one more time and grinned showing his white teeth. "I will be."

--

_With Sango and Miroku _

The sounds of the subway station seemed to be awfully loud as the large trains glided by and hundred of people filed on and off in a hurry.

"That's my train."

Miroku snapped out of his stupor and turned to face Sango only to realize she was now standing up. Her knee length skirt and white blouse shown of her professionalism and her dark brown hair was up in a bun. Miroku stood up with her and shoved a hand in his pocket. He smiled slightly and turned toward her. "Are you sure about this Sango? Do you really want to go all the way to America for graduate school?"

Sango looked at the train for a long moment before turning her attention back to Miroku. "I'm sure. I want to get away from this place for awhile. I think it would be best."

The silence between the two seemed to tick by the minutes which started to feel like hours. Miroku felt like he was sweating from the tense moment between the two of them. He had to tell her. It was now or never; after this there would be no turning back. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

"Sango I-"

"Don't Miroku," Sango stated firmly. Her face was turned to the side and her bangs seemed to obscure her face. "Don't tell me this now."

"Sango..." Miroku searched her face for a moment before smiling darkly. "Or is it the fact that you don't want to hear those words from me." At her silence he began to laugh bitterly. "Thought as much."

"It's not like that Miroku," Sango suddenly burst out and turned to him with an angry scowl. Though she tried to come off as serious the flush of her cheeks ruined the effect. "It's just that," she continued softly looking at him through her lashes, "I don't want anything holding me back."

Before Miroku could make a harsh retort Sango smoothly hugged him with her arms securely around his waist and her face pressed into the hard planes of his chest through his white dress shirt. "Please wait Miroku," she whispered into his chest. "Please wait for me. Someday I'll come back." Sango lifted her face to meet his midnight hued eyes with her cinnamon brown ones. "I promise."

Miroku stared down at her face for a long moment, taking in her weak appearance and shaky frame. His eyes were hardened in anger. After all that, after all that they went through. She 

wasn't even giving him the chance to say the things he wanted to say. She wanted, _to wait_. A slow smile spread across Miroku's face as his arms encircled her and crushed her further into his warmth. _You won't get away that easily._ Sango was too surprised as Miroku buried his face in her hair and breathed for a minute. If he continued this she just couldn't…

Sango pushed him away none to gently and tightened her hand around the purse resting on the shoulder. "Goodbye Miroku," she whispered backing away slowly. Miroku just continued to stare at her with a mixture of longing, anger, and something she refused herself to identify. That look was too much for her to bear. Turning sharply on her heel she ran into the sliding door right before it closed off both sides.

Sitting in one of nearby seats she put her purse in her lap and dug through it to find a pack of tissues. Tears were already starting to leak from her eyes and she didn't know how much longer she would last before somebody noticed. Her fingered encircled the pack of tissues along with some other small objects in her desperation as she yanked them out of her purse. In the process a small crumpled piece of paper fell to the ground.

Sango was about to wipe her eyes until she caught the sight of something white on the group. Picking it up, she stared at the crumpled ball for a minute. 'How did this get into my purse?' The tissues lay forgotten on the side as she slowly unfolded the craggy note and stared at the message for a moment. 'How did…how did Miroku…' With a startled cry she crushed the paper in her fist and buried her face in her hand, not even noticing she was bitterly smiling through the rush of tears.

In a small scribbled handwriting, the scrap of paper wrote:

_I love you._

_--_

_With Sesshomaru_

'Till we meet again Kagura'

Standing in a field of graves, Sesshomaru stared down at the small white marble stone and the bouquet of azaleas he just placed there. It was awkward in a way. He had never really been fond of the graveyard. He really didn't even visit his parents in their graves. This place was just too much of memory holder and it definitely was not a place for Sesshomaru to be seen.

Still though…

Sesshomaru knelt down in front of the small grave and touched the cool marble for a moment. Kagura at least deserved this much. She had been living this torturous life for god-knows how long. If only he had read between the lines…if only he had seen it before!

"Are you alright Mr. –sama?"

A girl no older than 10 was kneeled beside him steadily watching him with huge brown eyes. Her black hair barely touched her shoulders and her outfit included a full length black dress and matching hat. Sesshomaru turned his eyes back to the grave and stared at it for a few moments more before standing up. Then he turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"Did you love her?"

Sesshomaru paused mid-step but did not turn around. His eyes shifted and out of the corner of his vision he saw her kneeling before Kagura's grave and placed a small bunch of lilies.

"Kagura," the little girl read, testing the name out for her own sake. "She must have been pretty. Her name is really pretty. My parents had pretty names too. I guess that's why all the pretty people end up with their pretty names on stones. Right Mr. –sama?"

Sesshomaru took his time to look at her through the side of his vision. She was weird; that much was certain. Yet something about her just…threw him off.

"Can I walk with you, Mr. –sama? I have no place to go."

Sesshomaru turned around completely so that his back was facing her and tilted his head up slightly. It had hit him a sort of sickly way that she and he were much more alike than he would have liked to admit. Decidedly, he walked away slowly before pausing briefly to answer her.

"Neither do I."

He didn't see the way Rin flashed a bright smile behind him and firmly placed on hand atop her head to keep her hat from falling as she raced to catch up with him. He was strange, but then again, so was she. It all worked out in the end.

Rin moved slightly closer and clasped her hands behind her back while staring up at him. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.

'I like him.'

--

_With Kagome and Inuyasha_

The sun was always orange.

It really wasn't always that way, but whenever Kagome came by the sun seemed to be setting in all its orange glory. Sometimes it really frightened her to think about it. The memories of spirits haunted her too much, whether or not Naraku really was dead or not. She missed Kanna too. It was hard for these past years to live without her abilities. Since the jewel had been destroyed her senses had left her. It was almost as though everything left her and the one thing she had wanted most, had actually become her nightmare.

What was normal anyway?

Kagome buried her feet deeper into the golden sand and stared at the water reflecting the sun's pattern. She had tried so hard to be freed from the life that she had lead. But what now? She was the average 23 year-old she had dreamed about. Some dream it turned out to be. Sure, she had gotten to know Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha through the years and became close friends. But Sango had to leave for graduate school. Miroku loved her, she knew that much was true, but Sango didn't want that type of burden. Love was a topic that Sango did not want to dance around. It was tragic really.

A small smile danced across her lips when she heard Inuyasha's feet swishing with sand behind her. She turned her head to look back at him and tipped her head slightly in salutation. "Hello."

Inuyasha plopped down beside her and turned his head her way. He also nodded his head. "Hi."

Kagome stared a while longer until she realized her mistake and whipped her gaze away looking flushed. Inuyasha's shirt was unmistakably low and anyone could totally make out the expanse of his throat and chest. She wondered why he hadn't started dating anyone yet. Kagome flushed a deep pink at that.

She looked nice today. Inuyasha smiled softly and stared at the girl next to him with her feet buried in the sand. She had cut her hair shorter a couple years back so it reached past her shoulders and she wore a half ponytail. She also adorned a white sun dress. She looked good.

"You know Inuyasha, do you ever regret what happened all those years ago?" Kagome turned to look at him with a small smile, like she already knew his answer.

He scoffed and leaned back a bit. "No. If anything, I got to know you much better. That alone was enough for me."

Kagome laughed slightly and looked out into the ocean. She realized now that, with a certain sort of amusement, she wasn't normal. There was no such thing as normal. It was nice to realize that fact.

With a small giggle she threw her self back into the sand and laid out wiggling her toes. Life was funny in that way…her friends all chose different paths, yet some things had to be sacrificed for others. She often thought of what things would be like if she had chose different paths. It was a scary thing, to think about the universe in that way.

Kagome turned her head to the side and looked at Inuyasha. She loved him. As a friend, as a human being, as a partner, as a role-model. It didn't matter how, or in what way. She didn't even know if he would stick around all her life. But as long as they could live the moment, it was fine. She could love Inuyasha and that would be enough.

Inuyasha coughed into his hand. "Kagome, how do you think Miroku is doing?"

They both let out a knowing sigh together and met each other's eyes with laughter. "He'll be okay," Kagome said while raising her self to lean against his shoulder. "He always is." Inyasha smiled softly and rested his cheek on top of her head. "Yeah." Inuyasha sighed in a content way. He could die happy.

"Oh! Mom's cooking dinner tonight so I have to be home early. I love helping her out." Kagome left their relaxed positions and stood up to brush the sand off of her dress. Inuyasha joined her in standing as they both took on last look at the setting sun.

"I guess we all had to face reality. After all this time, I'm really going to miss our foursome. No one ends up the happiest in the end." Kagome giggled and shook her head slightly and tiled it to look up at Inuyasha. He looked down at her with a soft expression. Turning in a mock-marching, Kagome started to walk back towards the boardwalk and off the beach.

Inuyasha sighed softly as he watched her retreating back. He really missed his chance to tell her how he felt that time. "Damn," he muttered as he followed her footprints and quickened his pace. Reflecting back on her words he shook his head and allowed himself a small grin.

'Well, there is always next time.'

fin.


End file.
